Amateur-built SKYRAIDER I accident near Erwin, North Carolina, March 16, 2016
On March 16, 2016 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 2005 amateur-built SKYRAIDER I, registered N8109E, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Erwin, North Carolina (Sawyer Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2016 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Erwin, North Carolina · Sawyer Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SKYRAIDER I NO SERIES, built 2005
- Registration
- N8109E · no longer on the register · serial 105
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner reported that he was departing on his first flight in the experimental airplane he had just purchased. He began the takeoff roll to the west and the wind pushed the airplane towards the right side of the runway. He attempted to correct with left rudder, but the airplane continued to the right. He then added left aileron, but the airplane continued right and the right wing struck a tree limb. According to the pilot, "The next thing I knew I was on the ground." The pilot reported he had 200 total hours of flight experience, and that his experience was divided between both certified and experimental airplanes. He stated that his airplane had no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Related operating info
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 223 hours in all; 0.2 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 12, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 447 (piston); 60 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Erwin NC at 2:15 pm
- Destination: PVT Erwin NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,300 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 2:20 pm from KHRJ, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 25, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.