Remos REMOS GX N449RA

Summary

On 6 December 2023 at about 14:44 local time, a Remos REMOS GX registered N449RA, operated by Daniel P. Snyder, was involved in an accident near Taylor, Arizona, 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

6 December 2023 at 14:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Taylor, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Taylor Municipal Airport (TYL)

Coordinates

34.4523, -110.1153

Aircraft

Remos REMOS GX

Registration

N449RA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Daniel P. Snyder

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Glendale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24FA052

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s decision to attempt takeoff with frost covering the airplane’s wings, which led to an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the light sport airplane was preparing to depart for a cross-country flight. A witness reported that when he arrived at the airport that morning, he saw the airplane on the parking ramp, not moored down, and the engine was running. As the airplane taxied through the ramp area, he saw that it was covered with frost. Soon after the witness had gone inside the airport office, he was notified from an airplane flying over the airport that an airplane had crashed on the runway. A photo of the accident site minutes after the accident revealed that the upper surfaces of the horizontal stabilizers were covered in frost. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.  Based on the witness’s statement and photo evidence, the airplane likely had frost-contaminated wings, which the pilot did not remove before takeoff. His subsequent rotation of the airplane during takeoff with its lift capability degraded due to contamination of its flying surfaces resulted in exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and subsequent impact with the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.