Stits SA3A N134JW

Summary

On 14 July 2008 at about 17:20 local time, a Stits SA3A registered N134JW, operated by Robert P. Meyer, was involved in an accident near St Louis, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 July 2008 at 17:20

Classification

Accident

Location

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Creve Coeur (1H0)

Coordinates

38.7267, -90.5081

Aircraft

Stits SA3A

Registration

N134JW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert P. Meyer

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St Louis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW08CA185

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 2,500 hour private pilot was conducting a normal takeoff in a single seat amateur built airplane from the dry 3,120 foot long turf runway and reported that he lost control of the airplane and was unable to climb out of ground effect. The left wing and the nose of the airplane struck the ground, and airplane landed upright. There was substantial damage to the forward firewall, engine mounts, landing gear, and left wing, but only minor injuries to the pilot. The pilot reported he had owned the airplane for 18 years and there was nothing wrong with the engine or with the performance of the airplane. He said he was "just too far behind" the airplane and it "got away" from him because it was "so quick and difficult to control". Weather reported at the time of the accident was 10 miles visibility, with few clouds at 5,000 feet, westerly winds at 5 knots, with a temperature of 87 degrees and dew point of 57degrees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.