ELYRIA, OH, USA
N888TQ
VARGA TRI-Q200
THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A STAGGERED TAKEOFF ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, WITH A LEFT CROSSWIND. HE STARTED HIS TAKEOFF WHEN THE PRECEDING AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE. ONCE AIRBORNE, AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF 20 TO 30 FEET, HE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE, AND THEN SANK UNCONTROLLABLY ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE FAA REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD MINIMAL EXPERIENCE IN PERFORMING STAGGERED TAKEOFFS.
On July 25, 1995, at 1100 eastern daylight time, a Varga Tri-Q200, N888TQ, an experimental, homebuilt, airplane was destroyed during takeoff from Lorain County Airport, Elyria, Ohio. The private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The FAA reported that two airplanes planned to depart Lorain County Airport, destined for the EAA Fly-In, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and with a planned intermediate fuel stop at Valparaiso, Indiana. In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated: We departed as a flight of two in a stagger take-off. As the plane (Hiperbipe) ahead of me and to my left started to lift-off, I began my roll for take-off on the right side of the runway. When I reached the speed of 80 MPH, I rotated to take-off. The plane lifted to about 20 to 30 feet above the runway when my left wing dipped vertically down. I righted the plane for a moment and slid behind the Hiperbipe and was caught directly in his slipstream. At this point I had no stick-feeling or pressure. The plane sank to the ground and crashed into the ground on the left side of the runway. The Hiperbipe did not cross my path, nor did I cross behind him until I got into his slipstream. I believe the S.W. wind direction drifted his slipstream to my side of the runway causing the accident. The pilot reported the winds were from the southwest at 12 knots. The FAA reported that the pilot had minimal experience in performing staggered takeoffs. According to the Airport Facility Directory, runway 25 was 5,000 feet log, 100 feet wide, and had an asphalt surface.
the pilot's decision to perform a staggered takeoff on the downwind side of the runway, which resulted in a wake turbulence encounter, loss of control in flight, and uncontrolled descent onto the runway. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in performing staggered takeoffs.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
