Czech Aircraft Works SPORT CRUISER N947DM

Summary

On 14 November 2007 at about 17:58 local time, a Czech Aircraft Works SPORT CRUISER registered N947DM was involved in an accident near Waukegan, Illinois, United States. One person was 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

14 November 2007 at 17:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Waukegan, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Waukegan Regional (UGN)

Coordinates

42.4197, -87.8672

Aircraft

Czech Aircraft Works SPORT CRUISER

Registration

N947DM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waukegan → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI08LA040

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to assure that all of his tools were accounted for prior to takeoff which resulted in the foreign object jamming the control stick and the pilot's inability to maintain control of the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the strong, gusty crosswind condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The takeoff was being made on runway 23. Upon takeoff the airplane began drifting to the right. The pilot applied left aileron and rudder, and the airplane started "banking hard right." He then applied full throttle and full left aileron, but the right bank angle kept increasing. The pilot reported that he kept the nose of the airplane up by applying left rudder, but the airplane continued to lose altitude. The right wing then contacted the runway and the airplane came to rest after having completed a 360 degree turn. Prior to the flight the pilot was working on the airplane and had used a magnetic block to magnetize a screwdriver. When finished, he set the block on the copilot seat and forgot about it. Following the accident the magnetic block was found lodged between the control stick and its mounting. This resulted in restricted movement of the control stick. The local winds were reported as being variable from 240 degrees to 310 degrees with gusts to 21 knots. The pilot reported the windsock showed the winds were from 270 degrees when he initiated his takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.