Tukan Trike accident near Nicholasville, KY
On August 27, 2017, a Tukan Trike was involved in an accident near Nicholasville, KY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 27, 2017
- Place
- Nicholasville, KY
- Aircraft
- Tukan Trike · WSFT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.884°N, 84.608°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170827X73022
Official records · ERA17LA297
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On August 27, 2017, about 1330 eastern daylight time, an unregistered amateur-built experimental light-sport Tukan Trike aircraft was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during takeoff in Nicholasville, Kentucky. The noncertificated pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight.According to a witness, the pilot purchased the weight-shift-control aircraft several months earlier, and the accident flight was the pilot's first flight in the aircraft. After the pilot completed a few taxi tests down the grass field, the aircraft took off but failed to gain airspeed or altitude. According to the witness, the aircraft climbed to about 20 ft above the ground, veered left, and impacted a dumpster. He reported that the engine ran "fine" during the takeoff. A search of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the pilot did not hold a pilot certificate, nor did he possess a sport pilot certificate with a weight-shift-control trike rating. (Pilots of the accident aircraft make and model must possess a sport pilot certificate with a weight-shift control trike rating.) His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in conjunction with a student pilot certificate on February 23, 1989. He reported 40 total hours of flight experience at that time. No pilot logbooks were recovered. It could not be determined whether the pilot o
Probable cause
The noncertificated pilot's failure to maintain control of the weight-shift-control aircraft during takeoff.
More accidents in KY
- Bombardier, Inc. CRJ-100, Aug 27, 2006
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- Piper PA-32R-301, Mar 22, 2004
Browse: Kentucky
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
