Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Covey Trails Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Richmond, Texas 77406
Saturday, May 29, 2010 12:50 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was on final approach when it suddenly nosed down and impacted terrain about 400 feet short of the approach end of the runway. The airplane came to rest upright. The forward hinged cockpit canopy separated from the airplane during the impact and came to rest about 20 feet from the main wreckage. The pilot (who later died from his injuries) told several witnesses and first responders that the cockpit canopy came open in flight and he subsequently lost control of the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane and the cockpit canopy latch mechanism revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. The canopy latch was likely not secured properly before takeoff because there were no witness marks on the latch mechanism.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The opening of the cockpit canopy in-flight due to improper latching, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/29/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1250 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Richmond |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77406 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 294102N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0955015W |
| Event Location Airport | Covey Trails Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | X09 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 130 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TME |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 166 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.82 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KTME 291755Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM BKN060 33/19 A2982 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29896 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 25 2012 2:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N121EV |
| NTSB Number | CEN10FA278 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EVEKTOR AEROTECHNIK |
| Aircraft Model | Sportstar Plus |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20081011 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1268 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 21 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 101 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MARVIN L MIXON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | RICHMOND |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77469-9710 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | MARVIN L MIXON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | RICHMOND |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77469-9710 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | X09 |
| Departure City | Richmond |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | X09 |
| Destination City | Richmond |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 7 2012 3:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 3352 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |