NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA14CA385
Registry · N502CW
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
RANS S-6S
Year of manufacture
2007 · 7 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 912S (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20071013
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A641A5
Registrant of record
ZIMMERMAN J EARL
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The passenger's inadvertent interference with the rudder controls during the takeoff.
Factual narrative
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. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-Rudder control system-Unintentional use/operation - C
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Passenger - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2014_ERA14CA385.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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