Evektor Aerotechnik As Sportstar accident near St Charles, Missouri, August 5, 2008
On August 5, 2008 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Evektor Aerotechnik As Sportstar, registered N411EV, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near St Charles, Missouri (St Charles airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain control due to his task saturation as a result of his failure to set the pitch trim to the neutral position before takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2008 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- St Charles, Missouri · St Charles · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Evektor Aerotechnik As Sportstar
- Registration
- N411EV · no longer on the register · serial 2005-0411
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After taking off, and at about 75 to 100 feet above the runway, the airplane had a sudden pitch down and the student pilot had to pull back on the control stick to maintain control of the airplane. He continued to have difficulty with pitch control as he maneuvered the airplane back to land at the airport, but was unable to simultaneously reduce engine power and maintain control of the airplane. During the landing the airplane touched down hard at a higher-than-normal airspeed with the engine still operating near full power. The student pilot lost directional control and the airplane exited the left side of the runway before nosing over in the grass. An examination of the airplane by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed that the pitch trim was in the full nose-down position. No other anomaly was detected in the airframe or the engine. The pilot later said he didn’t even think about the elevator trim and it was possible that he had taken off with the elevator trim at the wrong setting.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Cognitive limitation › Cognitive overload › Student pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Recent experience › Student pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Student pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator tab control system › Incorrect use/operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,516 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 2008; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,231 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: St Charles Flying Service Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 3SQ St Charles MO
- Destination: St Charles MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 3,451 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from KSTL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.