Steven R McNeese AIRBORNE EDGE X N821AK

Summary

On 2 August 2014 at about 21:10 local time, a Steven R McNeese AIRBORNE EDGE X registered N821AK, operated by McNeese Steven R, was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska, 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

2 August 2014 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmer, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Butte Muni (AK1)

Coordinates

61.5308, -149.0117

Aircraft

Steven R McNeese AIRBORNE EDGE X

Registration

N821AK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

McNeese Steven R

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palmer → Palmer

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC14CA059

Nobody was injured.

The non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain directional control while performing a high speed taxi test and inadvertent lift-off, which resulted in an inflight collision with trees and terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-certificated pilot was performing a high speed taxi test at a privately-owned, dirt and gravel-covered airport, in his tricycle-gear equipped weight-shift-control airplane. He reported that after arriving at the airport, he assembled the airplane, and then did a thorough preflight, which included checking wind conditions aloft by releasing helium balloons. He stated that the airplane had recently undergone an extensive rebuild, and he intended to do series postmaintenance taxi tests before flying the airplane.  During the first high speed taxi test, as the airplane reached a takeoff speed, the pilot pushed the control bar forward, and the airplane became airborne. In an attempt to land the airplane and gain additional airspeed, the pilot pulled back on the control bar, but the airplane began to roll to the left. The pilot then applied full right control bar input, but the airplane continued to the left, and it subsequently collided with a stand of trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.