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19970826023949A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Amtr Sonerai · Scottsburg, IN · August 26, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 26, 1997 · 17:45 local
Place
Scottsburg, IN
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N76457
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI97FA272
Reported as
Amtr Sonerai
Reported engine
AMTRVW VW2200
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
9 total9 in this make and model
N76457Registration cancelled Jun 15, 2017 · Kellums Mike SONERAI IS/N 9745 · Built 1996Airframe modelKellums Mike SONERAI IEngine modelVolkswagen CONVERSIONReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)A witness on the airport saw the student pilot takeoff to the south and perform a normal climbout. The witness said that the pilot was a 'stickler for following the rules' and felt that the pilot turned eastbound to enter the traffic pattern. Another witness who was near the accident site said she 'heard the airplane's engine cut out.' The witness said that when she looked south toward where she heard the sound, she 'saw the airplane come straight down.' The student pilot had approximately 9.0 hours total flying time in the airplane. All 9.0 hours was as pilot-in-command. The student pilot had accumulated approximately 200 to 300 hours in ultralights. Examination of the airplane's engine revealed an 'unusually large amount of carbon in the cylinders. The carbon was dry - a type associated with too rich of a fuel mixture.' No other anomalies were found with the airplane. (-23) aircraft engine quit, the aircraft stalled, then impacted the ground. Pilot did not have a valid medical certificate and only had a student pilot certificate.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)A WITNESS ON THE AIRPORT SAW THE STUDENT PILOT TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTH AND PERFORM A NORMAL CLIMBOUT. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE PILOT WAS A 'STICKLER FOR FOLLOWING THE RULES' AND FELT THAT THE PILOT TURNED EASTBOUND TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. ANOTHER WITNESS WHO WAS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE SAID SHE 'HEARD THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE CUT OUT.' THE WITNESS SAID THAT WHEN SHE LOOKED SOUTH TOWARD WHERE SHE HEARD THE SOUND, SHE 'SAW THE AIRPLANE COME STRAIGHT DOWN.' THE STUDENT PILOT HAD APPROXIMATELY 9.0 HOURS TOTAL FLYING TIME IN THE AIRPLANE. ALL 9.0 HOURS WAS AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 HOURS IN ULTRALIGHTS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE REVEALED AN 'UNUSUALLY LARGE AMOUNT OF CARBON IN THE CYLINDERS. THE CARBON WAS DRY - A TYPE ASSOCIATED WITH TOO RICH OF A FUEL MIXTURE.' NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23) AIRCRAFT ENGINE QUIT, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND. PILOT DID NOT HAVE A VALID MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AND ONLY HAD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI97FA272Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportScottsburg, INa loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed greater than the stalling speed for the airplane. A factor relating to this accident was the student pilot's lack of total experience.Aug 26, 1997 · Destroyed