Ward Christopher Barry RAI 6 N251CW

Summary

On 18 June 2017 at about 13:15 local time, a Ward Christopher Barry RAI 6 registered N251CW was involved in an accident near Williston, Florida, United States. 2 people were 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

18 June 2017 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Williston, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Willisto (X60)

Coordinates

29.3556, -82.4719

Aircraft

Ward Christopher Barry RAI 6

Registration

N251CW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2017

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Williston → Norh Perry

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA350

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain the airplane’s pitch control during rotation and his subsequent loss of directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, who was on the controls in the high-performance, experimental, amateur-built airplane, reported that he and a check pilot, who was familiar with the airplane and required by the insurance company, were taking off from a grass airstrip for a planned cross-country flight. According to the check pilot, before takeoff, he advised the pilot to "begin his rotation to takeoff attitude a few knots before the normal takeoff speed of approximately 65 knots and then let the airplane lift off smoothly when it was ready to fly." During the takeoff roll, the pilot initiated the "rotation" as instructed, but the nose pitched up too high, and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The airplane exited the left side of the runway, struck the ground, and came to rest upright facing the opposite direction of the takeoff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar and the lower part of the composite fuselage. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.