Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Saurers Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Berlin, Pennsylvania 17855
Monday, August 4, 2014 19:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that just after takeoff, the airplane entered "uncoordinated flight to the left." He applied right rudder to correct, but felt that the rudder was ineffective. After clearing trees at the end of the runway, the pilot elected to conduct a precautionary landing in a field. He stated that the airplane's rate of descent was "high," and that the nose landing gear collapsed upon touchdown. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall, both wings, and the vertical stablilizer. Examination of the rudder controls revealed no anomalies. According to the pilot, his passenger was "apprehensive" about the flight, and inadvertently applied pressure to the left rudder pedal with his foot throughout the takeoff and accident sequence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The passenger's inadvertent interference with the rudder controls during the takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1930 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | New Berlin |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 17855 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405302N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0765848W |
| Event Location Airport | Saurers Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 4PA1 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 550 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 126 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSEG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 450 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33239 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2014 3:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N502CW |
| NTSB Number | ERA14CA385 |
| 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 | COTE JAMES |
| Aircraft Model | RANS S 6S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 08051681 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 8 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 112 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BEACHY MARTIN JR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WINFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 178897700 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BEACHY MARTIN JR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WINFIELD |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 178897700 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 4PA1 |
| Departure City | New Berlin |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 730 |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 4PA1 |
| Destination City | New Berlin |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2014 3:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9/27 |
| Runway Length | 1200 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |