Air Creation CLIPPER 58 N5138J accident near Anacortes, Washington

Probable cause

The partial loss of engine power due to the passenger's inadvertent movement of the engine throttle control.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the experimental weight-shift-control light sport aircraft (trike) experienced a partial loss of engine power during initial climb. The pilot noticed that the engine's throttle went to an idle setting upon climbing to a maximum height of 50 feet above the runway. The pilot made a forced landing on grass-covered terrain adjacent to the runway and the airplane collided with the airport's perimeter chain link fence. One of the trike's fabric wings was ripped over a foot-long span, and the cockpit enclosure was cracked. The pilot reported that no maintenance had been performed on the airplane since he purchased it about 2 months prior to the accident. According to the pilot, although the propeller continued rotating when the engine power loss occurred, insufficient power was produced to sustain flight. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the trike and interviewed the pilot reported that the trike's throttle is accessible to occupants located in both the front and rear seats. In his statement, the pilot opined that during takeoff the throttle was inadvertently retarded by the passenger in the front seat.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09CA186 for the full record.