Sutton William J STITS PLAYMATE SA11A N76WS

Summary

On 29 July 2014 at about 18:05 local time, a Sutton William J STITS PLAYMATE SA11A registered N76WS was involved in an accident near Bridgeport, Texas, 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

29 July 2014 at 18:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Bridgeport, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Bridgeport Municipal (KXBP)

Coordinates

33.1733, -97.8292

Aircraft

Sutton William J STITS PLAYMATE SA11A

Registration

N76WS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bridgeport → Hicks Airfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA433

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of airplane control during takeoff after encountering rapidly changing wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After refueling the airplane, the pilot observed that the wind direction at the airport had changed about 90 degrees from when he had arrived about 30 minutes earlier. The pilot reported that the wind was now 8 to 10 mph and varying from 050 to 090 degrees, so he chose runway 36 for departure. When the airplane was about 10 to 15 ft above the ground, it made a descending left turn. The pilot stayed in the traffic pattern and then landed on the runway. The pilot checked the flight controls, and they appeared to respond correctly. He departed again, and, after becoming airborne, the airplane made another descending left turn. The airplane did not respond to the pilot's control inputs, so he reduced power and landed in the grass near the runway. The airplane slid across a taxiway and impacted a tree and fence at the airport perimeter. Aileron control continuity was established with no abnormalities noted. The airport's automated weather reporting station reported calm wind and lightning in the distance south of the airport about the time of departure. Based on the events, it's likely that, during the takeoff, the airplane encountered rapidly changing wind conditions due to a nearby storm.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.