Amateur-built ZENITH CH601XLB N107RW accident near East Amherst, New York

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and his decision to continue the takeoff from the soft turf runway.

NTSB analysis

The airplane was departing from a wet, turf runway. The pilot reported that during the departure roll the airplane began to veer to the right and was not travelling fast enough when he attempted to takeoff. The airplane’s nose gear settled back onto the runway, it then sank into the soft turf, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot further reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also stated that he should have aborted the takeoff, but “thought he could power through the drifting and get the aircraft off the ground.”

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA175 for the full record.