Calhoun RV-4 N996NC

Summary

On 18 July 2004 at about 18:51 local time, a Calhoun RV-4 registered N996NC was involved in an accident near Latexo, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 July 2004 at 18:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Latexo, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Bruner Airport (8TS3)

Coordinates

31.3900, -95.4731

Aircraft

Calhoun RV-4

Registration

N996NC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Latexo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW04LA189

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and attain adequate airspeed resulting in a stall. Contributing factors were the pilot's diverted attention with closing the canopy, and the quartering crosswind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness, standing near the approach end of runway 17 (a 2,500 feet long by 50 feet wide turf runway), stated that the 180-hour pilot went through his pre-flight checklist and began his take-off roll. The witness further stated that the tailwheel-equipped airplane veered off to the left and into some tall grass to the left of the runway. The airplane became airborne for a moment and then settled back down in a level attitude. The airplane again lifted off of the runway and it was at this point the witness noticed the pilot "trying to close" the canopy on the airplane. The airplane remained airborne at what appeared to be "just above stall speed." Subsequently, the airplane banked to the left and stalled. The witness lost sight of the airplane as it went down behind some trees, short of the departure end of runway 17 and "several hundred feet" to the left. Near the time of the accident, the closest weather reporting station reported winds from 330 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 14 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky scattered at 4,900 feet msl, temperature 35 degrees Celsius, dew point 17 degrees Celsius, and a barometric pressure of 29.94 inches of Mercury.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.