# Accident 19990901031789A: Sukhoi SU29, Fort Lauderdale, FL, September 1, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 1, 1999, 09:30 local time - Place: Fort Lauderdale, FL - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.0105° N, 80.4601° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.0105&lon=-80.4601&mi=10 - Aircraft: N52PB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N52PB-2013-05-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Sukhoi SU-29 (registry code 9850103, https://openairdocs.org/model/sukhoi-su-29) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SUKHOI SU29 - Reported engine: VEDENY M14P - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 7,000 total, 200 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA242](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA242) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990901031789A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 1,1999, ABOUT 0930 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SUKHOI SU-29, N52PB, REGISTERED TO AERIAL THREE INC., IMPACTED WITH THE GROUND NEAR UNINCORPORATED FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT REPORTED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM THE NORTH PERRY AIRPORT, HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA, ABOUT 0900. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THAT WAS RIDING A LAWN MOWER NEAR THE CRASH SITE, HE SAW THE AIRPLANE AT A LOW ALTITUDE, ABOUT 150-200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, HEADING IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. THE AIRPLANE TURNED 360 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT, DESCENDED, LEVELED OFF, FOR SHORT TIME, THEN ENTERED A STEEP NOSE LOW TURN TO THE RIGHT, UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. IN ADDITION, THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVING SLOW, AFTER IT HAD LEVELED OFF, AND BEORE IT WENT INTO THE NOSE LOW STEEP TURN. THE WITNESS COULD NOT HEAR THE SOUND OF THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE BECAUSE HIS LAWN MOWER WAS RUNNING, AND THE NOISE OF THE LAWN MOWER WAS TOO LOUD TO HEAR ANYTHING. (.4)THE PILOT BEEN DOING AEROBATIC SNAP ROLLS. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10-15 SNAPS HE BEGAN ANOTHER. AS HE PULLED ON THE STICK HE '...FELT THE AILERONS BRAKE LOOSE.' HE RECOVERED FROM THE SNAP AT 2,500 FEET AGL. THE AIRPLANE STARTED A 20 DEGREE TO 30 DEGREE STEEP DESCENDING TURN TO THE RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO RIGHT THE AIRPLANE WITH BACK STICK AND LEFT RUDDER TO NO AVAIL. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A CONTROLLED LANDING IN A TURN. ABOUT 600 FEET AGL THE RIGHT WING WENT DOWN TO 90 DEGREES THE NOSE THEN WENT DOWN THE SAME TILL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. AT NO TIME DID HE HAVE ANY DIRECTIONAL OR AILERON CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. LABORATORY EXAMINATION OF THE INBOARD SECTIONS OF THE RIGHT AILERON, THE INBOARD AERODYNAMIC COMPENSATOR (SPADE) FROM THE RIGHT AILERON, AND THE OUTBOARD AERODYNAMIC COMPENSATOR FROM THE LEFT AILERON, REVEALED, THE IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL WAS DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING AND THE SUBSEQUENT FRACTURE OF THE ACTUATOR LEVER ATTACHING THE RIGHT AILERON TO THE CONTROL ROD. IN ADDITION, THE LEFT AILERON WAS CRACKED AND A PORTION OF THIS SPAR HAD BEEN MISSING FOR SOME TIME. THE FATIGUE CRACKING IN THE ACTUATOR LEVER FROM THE RIGHT AILERON AND THE RUPTURE OF THE AFT SPAR IN THE LEFT AILERON WERE PRECIPATED BY THE FATIGUE CRACKING IN THE ATTACHMENT STRUCTURE OF THE INBOARD SPADE FROM THE RIGHT AIRLERON AND THE OUTBOARD SPADE FROM THE LEFT AIRLERON. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA99LA242](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA242), Sep 1, 1999: Sukhoi SU-29 (N52PB), Fort Lauderdale, FL, destroyed. Probable cause: an in-flight failure of the right aileron due to fatigue cracking in the attachment structure of the right inboard aerodynamic compensator, which resulted in a loss of control, a forced landing, and… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.