Aerotrike Spirit N226MB accident near Vinland Valley, Kansas

Probable cause

The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the sport aircraft on takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The certified flight instructor and student pilot had just departed in the flight instructor's experimental light sport (weight-shift) aircraft when it began to drift to the left of the runway centerline. The flight instructor, who was also on the controls with the student pilot, reported that there was a three mile per hour crosswind from the right, so they both moved the bar to the left to correct for the wind and positioned the aircraft back to the right and over the runway centerline. However, once the correction was made, the aircraft continued to drift to the right. The instructor stated that he was telling the student to move the control bar to the right, and the student said he was trying but he was unable to lift the wing. The instructor, who was still on the controls, said that he was also trying to lift the wing but to no avail and the aircraft continued to bank sharply to the right. When the airplane's bank angle reached approximately 45 degrees, the instructor realized that the aircraft was going to stall so he pushed the control bar forward. The aircraft hit the ground with the right wing and came to rest about 300 feet to the right of the runway in a plowed field. Examination of the airplane revealed the wing and frame sustained substantial damage. The propeller was also damaged. No pre mishap discrepancies were noted with the airframe or the engine.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DFW08CA213 for the full record.