Robertson James F VELOCITY STD/RG E N112TH

Summary

On 13 February 2015 at about 14:00 local time, a Robertson James F VELOCITY STD/RG E registered N112TH, operated by Andrew J. Liptak, was involved in an accident near Sebastian, Florida, United States. One person was 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

13 February 2015 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Sebastian, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Sebastian Municipal (X26)

Coordinates

27.8133, -80.4956

Aircraft

Robertson James F VELOCITY STD/RG E

Registration

N112TH

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Andrew J. Liptak

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sebastian → Whiteville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA130

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s loss of airplane control after takeoff, which resulted in collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly secure the cabin door and trim the airplane for takeoff, which resulted in the cabin door opening and the nose pitching up suddenly at liftoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had recently purchased the experimental, amateur-built airplane. He received 3.6 hours of familiarization training in another airplane by the same manufacturer during the 2 days before the accident while maintenance and inspections were performed on his airplane. Once the work was completed, the pilot departed on the accident flight. Witnesses reported that, immediately after rotation, they observed the right cabin door open. The airplane briefly maintained the runway heading and then began a "slow, lingering" left turn. One witness described the engine sound as increasing and decreasing between idle and full power. The airplane rolled left, then wings level, then left again before it descended to the ground. The airplane impacted trees near the airport perimeter; the right wing separated, and the fuselage was substantially damaged. Immediately after the accident, the pilot reported that he was taking off and that "the door blew open." The pilot subsequently reported that the airplane "pitched up violently" on takeoff and would not respond to nose-down pitch trim. Examination of the airplane revealed flight control continuity from the cockpit area to the flight control surfaces. The latch mechanism on the right cabin door was found intact and fully functional. The pitch trim was found in a nearly full nose-up setting, and, when activated, the pitch trim motor ran through its full range at its normal rate. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.