# Incident 20021125037419I: Amtr SONEX, Vero Beach, FL, November 25, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 25, 2002, 15:38 local time
- Place: Vero Beach, FL
- Airport: Vero Beach Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.6556° N, 80.4180° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VERO BEACH RGNL (VRB), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.6556&lon=-80.4180&mi=10
- Aircraft: N229WF, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N229WF) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Flowers W Wayne SONEX (registry code 05614DR, https://openairdocs.org/model/flowers-w-wayne-sonex) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR SONEX
- Reported engine: AMTR JABIRU3300A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 175 total, 30 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021125037419I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL-HOMEBUILT SONEX KIT AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED ENGINE SURGING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 11R ON ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT, AND THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT BACK ON THE RUNWAY. THE NOSEGEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. VRB RUNWAY 11R IS 7,314' LONG BY 100' WIDE, ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT/FACILITY DIRECTORY. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE RUNWAY, AND APPEARED OUT OF CONTROL SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF; IT OSCILLATED UP AND DOWN, WOBBLED SEVERAL TIMES, AND BOUNCED OFF THE RUNWAY TWICE. IT THEN IMPACTED THE RUNWAY A THIRD TIME IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE AND CAME TO A STOP AT THE FAR END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTRIBUTED THE ENGINE SURGING TO AN IMPROPERLY-CONFIGURED THROTTLE BODY INJECTOR; HE BELIEVED THAT HE HAD INADVERTENTLY SET IT UP TOO LEAN FOR FULL ENGINE POWER SETTINGS. WHEN ASKED WHY HE HAD DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE AIRPLANE, HE STATED THAT HE SIMPLY "GOT BEHIND" IT. HE HAD NO PRIOR FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THIS MODEL AIRPLANE.

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.

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