Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR PLUS N906LA

Summary

On 17 March 2009 at about 23:52 local time, a Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR PLUS registered N906LA was involved in an accident near Lakeville, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 March 2009 at 23:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeville, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Airlake Airport (LVN)

Coordinates

44.6281, -93.2281

Aircraft

Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR PLUS

Registration

N906LA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lakeville → Lakeville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09LA238

1 person was seriously injured.

The instructor pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, and the student pilot’s unintentional interference with the instructor’s rudder pedal during the go-around. Contributing to the accident was the cockpit design which allowed inadvertent rudder pedal activation from the opposite seat position.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A certified flight instructor (CFI) and his student were practicing maneuvers to simulate slow flight and aircraft control before landing. The intent of the maneuver was to fly the airplane down the length of the runway with the wheels about 2 feet above the runway surface. The student was to control airspeed with pitch, heading with rudder, drift with aileron control, and altitude with power. The CFI stated that the accident occurred on the second attempt of this maneuver and that the first attempt ended because the student was too fast and had too much engine power. The CFI stated that the second pass "started well" but the airplane began to sink around mid-field. He instructed the student to relinquish control and attempted a go-around. The airplane started pitching up and turning to the left, and subsequently impacted the ground. The CFI stated that he believed the student was pushing on the CFI's left rudder pedal during the mishap. He stated that on other occasions students have had their right foot slip off the pilot rudder pedal and on to the co-pilot's left rudder pedal. The student gave a similar account of the accident, but stated that after he relinquished control his feet were "tucked back under [him]." The manufacturer has designed a retrofit barrier that, when installed, would prevent a pilot from being able to depress the rudder pedal in the neighboring pilot position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.