Gerlach SKYRAIDER II N1068S

Summary

On 2 August 2003 at about 14:20 local time, a Gerlach SKYRAIDER II registered N1068S was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 August 2003 at 14:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Wittman Regional (OSH)

Coordinates

43.9844, -88.5569

Aircraft

Gerlach SKYRAIDER II

Registration

N1068S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oshkosh → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI03FA239

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff, his improper use of flaps during the takeoff, and his failure to attain sufficient airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with a road.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a road after takeoff. The pilot reported that the takeoff roll was long and the airplane's engine seemed to lose power. He stated that he "released [the] flaps to gain speed but the engine seem[ed] to have less power." The pilot said that after clearing the fence at the end of the runway, he turned right and crashed on the road. The passenger reported that on the accident flight the pilot used flaps during the takeoff and, in his opinion, the use of the flaps produced enough drag to slow the aircraft's speed on takeoff. A witness stated that he observed the accident airplane during the takeoff, and the airplane was "going too slow, too low, and was climbing too steeply." The witness stated that the airplane then stalled and struck the ground. He stated that the airplane's engine was running until the airplane struck the ground. In his written report, the pilot listed no mechanical malfunction of the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no pre-impact anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.