Amateur-built ZENITH 701 N701TF accident near Mount Airy, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that, during takeoff, he raised the nose after reaching about 20 mph, and about 40 mph, the airplane lifted off the runway. He "held the stick back just a little [too] long and it started to tip stall to the left and [he] pushed the stick forward." He added that he applied right aileron and rudder because the airplane was drifting to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and bounced on the runway, and the right wheel separated from the airplane. He then, with full power, continued to fly and make right aileron and rudder inputs to get back over the runway. The airplane impacted the ground and came to rest inverted.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and wings.

The automated weather observation system at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 090° at 4 knots. The pilot was departing from runway 18.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA18CA067 for the full record.