Skykits SAVANNAH VGW accident near Plato Center, IL
On November 20, 2011, a Skykits SAVANNAH VGW (airplane) was involved in an accident near Plato Center, IL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 20, 2011
- Place
- Plato Center, IL
- Aircraft
- Skykits SAVANNAH VGW · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.009°N, 88.457°W
- NTSB ID
- 20111121X82253
Official records · CEN12FA073
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn November 20, 2011, about 1328 central standard time, a Skykits Savannah VGW, N61XT, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the runway after takeoff from Runway 6 (2,400 feet by 28 feet, asphalt) at the Olson Airport (LL53), Plato Center, Illinois. The pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to the Northern Illinois Rotorcraft Club and was operated by the pilot as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. A witness reported that the pilot intended to depart from LL53 and land at an airstrip on the pilot's property, which was located about 3 nautical miles to the northwest. She reported that the pilot started the airplane near its hangar for about 10 to 15 minutes to warm up the engine. She stated that the engine quit, but the pilot started it again and began to taxi the airplane. The witness reported that she observed the pilot taxi the airplane to the west end of the runway, and then he taxied the length of the runway to the east. The pilot then taxied the airplane back to the west end of the runway before departing. The witness reported that the airplane became airborne and climbed to about the height of a nearby barn (about 50 feet above ground level) when the airplane's wings began to "wobble." She stated that the airplane's wings wobbled back and forth, and then the airplane turned left and nosed straight down. The airplane impacted the side of the asphalt runway and fe
Probable cause
The noncertificated pilot’s decision to fly the airplane without receiving any flight instruction in the airplane, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during takeoff and the subsequent aerodynamic stall.
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Browse: Illinois
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
