20040430007629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Sukhoi SU-31 · Ft Lauderdale, FL · April 30, 2004

Date: April 30, 2004 · 14:15 local
Place: Ft Lauderdale, FL
Phase of flight: Practice Training Manuevers
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N31SU
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL04LA104
Reported as: Sukhoi SU31
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,917 total52 in the last 90 days

N31SURegistration cancelled Sep 27, 2013 · Sukhoi SU-31S/N 01-02 · Built 1994 Airframe modelSukhoi SU-31 Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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) On April 30, 2004 a Sukhoi SU-31, N31SU operated by a commercial pilot collided with water off the coast of ft. Lauderdale, Florida, while rehearsing for an air show. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight departed pompano beach, Florida, on April 30, 2004, at 1400. According to witnesses, the pilot was rehearsing for an airshow, when he entered the spin maneuver. The spin maneuver continued until the airplane collided with the water. The airplane came to rest approximately 20 feet below the water surface and 1700 feet off the shoreline of ft. Lauderdale.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APRIL 30, 2004 A SUKHOI SU-31, N31SU OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT COLLIDED WITH WATER OFF THE COAST OF FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, WHILE REHEARSING FOR AN AIR SHOW. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA, ON APRIL 30, 2004, AT 1400. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT WAS REHEARSING FOR AN AIRSHOW, WHEN HE ENTERED THE SPIN MANEUVER. THE SPIN MANEUVER CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET BELOW THE WATER SURFACE AND 1700 FEET OFF THE SHORELINE OF FT. LAUDERDALE.

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 ATL04LA104Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportFort Lauderdale, FLThe pilot's failure to recover from an intentional spin during an attempted aerobatic maneuver.Apr 30, 2004 · Substantial damage