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20030322004009A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr ANTARES503 · North Pole, AK · March 22, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
March 22, 2003 · 15:15 local
Place
North Pole, AK
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N93JS
Reported as
Amtr ANTARES503
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
9,500 total13 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N93JSRegistration cancelled Jul 24, 2003 · Schnurr Jack C ANTARES MA-32S/N 1959LH · Built 2002Airframe modelSchnurr Jack C ANTARES MA-32Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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.

(-23) No NTSB accident no, as this is an ultra-light aircraft, and they elected not to do an accident report. privacy data omitted The pilot stated the a/c veered left on take-off, at about 20 feet, he had difficulty turning back to proper heading. Shortly thereafter it again veered left and nose down, and again he had difficulty regaining level flight. Once straight and level he tested left & right control and all seemed okay, he said he decided to return to the airport to check the a/c. while attempting the return the a/c again made an uncommanded left turn, the nose again dropped, this time he could not regain control before crashing into small trees which turned the a/c 180 degrees to track and landed hard in an upright position. He was not injured. He said he had flown with his instructor about 10 days prior to this date and the a/c flew fine. He said there was no frost on the a/c and the wind in the area was very light. He said he had no idea why control was lost, all looked okay and the engine was running fine.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) NO NTSB ACCIDENT NO, AS THIS IS AN ULTRA-LIGHT AIRCRAFT, AND THEY ELECTED NOT TO DO AN ACCIDENT REPORT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PILOT STATED THE A/C VEERED LEFT ON TAKE-OFF, AT ABOUT 20 FEET, HE HAD DIFFICULTY TURNING BACK TO PROPER HEADING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER IT AGAIN VEERED LEFT AND NOSE DOWN, AND AGAIN HE HAD DIFFICULTY REGAINING LEVEL FLIGHT. ONCE STRAIGHT AND LEVEL HE TESTED LEFT & RIGHT CONTROL AND ALL SEEMED OKAY, HE SAID HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT TO CHECK THE A/C. WHILE ATTEMPTING THE RETURN THE A/C AGAIN MADE AN UNCOMMANDED LEFT TURN, THE NOSE AGAIN DROPPED, THIS TIME HE COULD NOT REGAIN CONTROL BEFORE CRASHING INTO SMALL TREES WHICH TURNED THE A/C 180 DEGREES TO TRACK AND LANDED HARD IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. HE WAS NOT INJURED. HE SAID HE HAD FLOWN WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR ABOUT 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS DATE AND THE A/C FLEW FINE. HE SAID THERE WAS NO FROST ON THE A/C AND THE WIND IN THE AREA WAS VERY LIGHT. HE SAID HE HAD NO IDEA WHY CONTROL WAS LOST, ALL LOOKED OKAY AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING FINE.