ERA18LA019

Factual narrative

On November 3, 2017, about 1400 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built V-Star SA9000, N21EM, collided with terrain during landing at Vansant Airport (9N1), Erwinna, Pennsylvania. The private pilot was seriously injured. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local, personal flight. The flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91.A witness stated he saw the accident airplane depart, and about thirty minutes later he saw the airplane approach the airport from the east. He initially saw the airplane in a normal flight attitude over the runway before it disappeared briefly behind rolling terrain. Then he saw the left wing, then the right wing, followed by the tail, he described it as a "cartwheeling" motion. He did not report hearing any strange sounds being emitted by the airplane on the takeoff or landing, nor did he see any smoke or objects falling from the airplane. The pilot stated he was practicing takeoffs and landings. He recalled one circuit around the pattern, then waking up suspended in the airplane by his restraints. He did not believe there was a mechanical problem with the airplane and reported that, "all control surfaces were operational after [the] accident." Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed the fuselage came to rest on its nose, and the tail was resting against tree branches. The engine was separated from the airframe, but the airplane remained largely intact. The left wing and forward fuselage were substantially damaged. The single-seat, bi-wing airplane was manufactured in 1980 and was equipped with a Lycoming O-290, 140-horsepower reciprocating engine. Its most recent condition inspection was completed on September 19, 2017. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a glider rating, and a sport pilot endorsement for airplane single engine land. He reported 700 hours of total flight experience on his most recent application for an FAA third-class medical certificate, which was issued on November 23, 1983. The weather conditions reported at the Doyelstown Airport (DYL), Doylestown, Pennsylvania, about 9 miles south of the accident site, included wind from 230° at 7 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 21° C, dew point 14° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury. The sport pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. A witness reported that he saw the airplane depart and then return about 30 minutes later. During the landing, the airplane "cartwheeled," which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that he did could not remember the landing. The pilot added that a postaccident check of the flight controls revealed that they were functioning normally. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot lost airplane control during landing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C