NTSB Factual Report

On August 8, 2009, at about 1030 eastern daylight time, an experimental light sport, Two Place Tukan Trike, weight-shift-control, N9259F, collided with power lines during climbout near Manlius, New York. The sport pilot and passenger received serious injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged by impact forces. The flight was operated as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

A witness reported that the pilot and passenger stopped by her home for a short visit. She said that the pilot prepared the aircraft for take off, taxied to the northwest corner of the private strip, and then began the take off roll in a southerly direction. She said that she watched the aircraft pick up speed down the strip, but she felt that it could not clear the trees at the end of the strip due to the elevation. She went on to say that the pilot pulled up and banked the aircraft, and at the same time the aircraft dropped from sight into the trees. The witness then went over to the tree line and saw the crashed aircraft.

Examination of the aircraft by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the aircraft collided with power lines and impacted the ground. Examination of the aircraft airframe and flight control system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. All flight tubes were damaged consistent with impact and showed no signs of preimpact failure. An examination of the engine and system components by the FAA inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. The pilot did not report to the FAA any flight control or mechanical malfunctions.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during climbout, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.