Quad City Ultralight Acft Corp CHALLENGER I N171DP accident near Winnie, Texas

Probable cause

The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff due to his fixation on the instrument panel.

NTSB analysis

When the light-sport airplane was about 300 to 400 feet above ground level, the pilot leveled it off and reduced engine power. He stated that he "fixated" on the instrument panel instead of concentrating on flying and didn't notice that the airplane had banked left. The pilot stated that he wanted to perform practice takeoffs and landings, so he wanted to do a quick turn and applied left aileron pedal. The airplane subsequently pitched down and started to spin, likely because the airplane banked too far left and stalled. The pilot pulled back on the control stick and applied full right aileron. Shortly thereafter, as the airplane started to recover from the spin, the wing contacted the ground. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunctions or failures occurred during the accident flight. He did not have a pilot's license.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA227 for the full record.