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CEN20CA337

2020-08-16 · Frankenmuth, Michigan, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 66G

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to stow the speed brake prior to attempting takeoff.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that following a landing and back-taxi in a motor glider, he failed to stow the speed brake prior to attempting a subsequent takeoff. During the takeoff attempt, the glider would not climb out of ground effect. The motor glider departed the end of the runway and impacted terrain which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Pilot - C
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Brake-Incorrect use/operation
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20CA337.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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