LONDON, KY, USA
UNREG
Kolb Company FIRESTAR
The student pilot was conducting a high speed taxi run, on a runway, when the airplane unexpectedly became airborne, and climbed to approximately 25 feet agl before stalling. The airplane impacted the ground nose low, right wing-tip first. The student pilot thinks that after the airplane became airborne, he retarded the throttle to idle. He made no mention of any failures or malfunctions with either the airframe or the engine.
On October 16, 1999, about 0900 eastern daylight time, an unregistered Kolb Firestar, was substantially damage when it impacted terrain after becoming airborne while conducting high speed taxi operations at the London Airport, London, Kentucky. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the airport manager, the student pilot was conducting a high speed taxi run on runway 23 when the airplane became airborne. The airplane reached approximately 25 feet agl. The pitch angle decreased, and the airplane impacted the ground nose low, right wing-tip first. The airplane came to rest approximately 150 feet to the side of runway 23. According to the student pilot, he arrived at the airport about 0800. He then preflighted the airplane, and noticed no anomalies. Once onboard, he started the engine, and allowed it to warm up before taxing. He never intended to fly the airplane, just practice high speed taxiing. The student pilot made a couple of runs on the taxiway then decided to attempt one down the runway. Once on the runway, he advanced the throttle, and the airplane accelerated. After a short ground run, the airplane pitched up. From this point until after the impact, the pilot could not recall in detail what happen. After the accident sequence was completed, the pilot remembers seeing the throttle at the engine idle position. He was not sure, but thinks that after the airplane became airborne, he retarded the throttle to idle. He added that because the airplane was in a nose high attitude it stalled once the throttle was reduced.
The student pilot's inability to maintain control of the airplane after inadvertently allowing it to become airborne. A factor in the accident was his lack of total aviation experience.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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