20030611016369A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr CA-7 · Angleton, TX · June 11, 2003

Date: June 11, 2003 · 10:45 local
Place: Angleton, TX
Airport: Brazoria County Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9043L
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX03LA192
Reported as: Amtr CA7
Reported engine: WALTER M601D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,600 total181 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N9043LRegistration cancelled Nov 20, 2003 · Argus CA-7S/N 007240 · Built 2000 Airframe modelArgus CA-7 Engine modelWalter 601DTurbo-prop

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) During landing, about 1500 feet beyond threshold, about 30 feet above rwy 17, aircraft appeared to be level then entered a left bank and continued to roll to almost inverted. The aircraft struck, nose down, the east edge of taxiway alpha. It erupted into flames on impact. The pilot, sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed. Several witnesses as well as co-designer of this model aircraft stated that the pilot/owner, also an a and p mechanic was adding additional fuel capacity to the aircraft by extending fuel out to the wingtips. Those witnesses also stated that the aircraft had a leak in the right wing and that the pilot/owner decided to "burn off" the right wing fuel in flight. The co-designer of the aircraft stated that a one-wing full, other wing empty condition would exceed the control capability of the ailerons at normal approach airspeed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING LANDING, ABOUT 1500 FEET BEYOND THRESHOLD, ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE RWY 17, AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE LEVEL THEN ENTERED A LEFT BANK AND CONTINUED TO ROLL TO ALMOST INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK, NOSE DOWN, THE EAST EDGE OF TAXIWAY ALPHA. IT ERUPTED INTO FLAMES ON IMPACT. THE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. SEVERAL WITNESSES AS WELL AS CO-DESIGNER OF THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT STATED THAT THE PILOT/OWNER, ALSO AN A AND P MECHANIC WAS ADDING ADDITIONAL FUEL CAPACITY TO THE AIRCRAFT BY EXTENDING FUEL OUT TO THE WINGTIPS. THOSE WITNESSES ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD A LEAK IN THE RIGHT WING AND THAT THE PILOT/OWNER DECIDED TO "BURN OFF" THE RIGHT WING FUEL IN FLIGHT. THE CO-DESIGNER OF THE AIRCRAFT STATED THAT A ONE-WING FULL, OTHER WING EMPTY CONDITION WOULD EXCEED THE CONTROL CAPABILITY OF THE AILERONS AT NORMAL APPROACH AIRSPEED.

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 LAX03LA192Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportAngleton, TXthe pilot's loss of lateral aircraft control. Also causal was the pilot's intentional flight with an asymmetrical fuel loading, and his improper use of the fuel system. A factor in the accident was the insufficient information provided by the kit manufacturer…Jun 11, 2003 · Destroyed

Other reports on N9043L · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20000926031459ILevel Off Touchdown · Deland, FL(-23)Nose landing gear fork twisted and separated from nose strut after hard landing runway 5 at Deland municipal airport. Aircraft propeller struck ground causing damage to propeller and engine. No other damage to aircraft or property.Sep 26, 2000 · Minor damage