Amateur-built TIERRA accident near Cutchogue, New York, June 7, 2009
On June 7, 2009 at about 1:09 pm local time, a amateur-built TIERRA, registered UNREGISTER, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Cutchogue, New York. It was a personal 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 pilot's decision to attempt takeoff from unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2009 · about 1:09 pm local time
- Place
- Cutchogue, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TIERRA II
- Registration
- UNREGISTER · no longer on the register · serial n/a
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he recently installed a newly rebuilt engine in his unregistered experimental amateur-built airplane and completed a 1-hour break-in procedure the day prior to the accident. He was departing from a soft field and he believed that the engine got wet or that the propeller was damaged by mud or rocks during the takeoff, reducing thrust. The airplane gained only 40 to 50 feet of altitude before it impacted trees. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the empennage. The reason for loss of engine power was not determined. The pilot stated he should have taken the airplane back to his home base and not attempted the takeoff from the soft field.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Collision during takeoff/land during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 280 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 341 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cutchogue NY at 12:30 pm
- Destination: 21N Mattituck NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 160°F (71°C), dew point 127°F (53°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from FOK, 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.