20090305004859A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mooreg MORONCA · Burgaw, NC · March 5, 2009

Date: March 5, 2009 · 13:30 local
Place: Burgaw, NC
Airport: Stag Air Park
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N404AF
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA09LA182
Reported as: Mooreg Moronca
Reported engine: Continental A658
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,600 total47 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

N404AFRegistration cancelled Jul 29, 2009 · Moore Glenn MORONCAS/N 005 · Built 2008 Airframe modelMoore Glenn MORONCA Engine modelContinental A-65-8Reciprocating

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) Aircraft departed from Stag Air Park for a local flight. Shortly thereafter, a witness heard the aircraft flying and stated that the engine sounded like it was "wide open." Very quickly after the sound decreased dramatically (as if the power had been quickly reduced) and then back to wide open (power quickly applied) followed by a crash. The aircraft hit the tops of several trees in a descent impacting the ground approximately 1230 feet beyond trees. The aircraft then bounced and traveled approximately another 40 feet before coming to rest. Both main landing gear were torn from the fuselage, both wings were twisted/canted forward, the mount for the pilot shoulder harness was torn/ripped from the fuselage, and the entire front of the aircraft (forward of the firewall) was crushed. The pilot was unable to egress from the aircraft due to severe injuries. The pilot was removed from the aircraft by local EMS personnel the pilot later died at the hospital.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM STAG AIR PARK FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A WITNESS HEARD THE AIRCRAFT FLYING AND STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS "WIDE OPEN." VERY QUICKLY AFTER THE SOUND DECREASED DRAMATICALLY (AS IF THE POWER HAD BEEN QUICKLY REDUCED) AND THEN BACK TO WIDE OPEN (POWER QUICKLY APPLIED) FOLLOWED BY A CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE TOPS OF SEVERAL TREES IN A DESCENT IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 1230 FEET BEYOND TREES. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BOUNCED AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 40 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE TORN FROM THE FUSELAGE, BOTH WINGS WERE TWISTED/CANTED FORWARD, THE MOUNT FOR THE PILOT SHOULDER HARNESS WAS TORN/RIPPED FROM THE FUSELAGE, AND THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT (FORWARD OF THE FIREWALL) WAS CRUSHED. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO EGRESS FROM THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SEVERE INJURIES. THE PILOT WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BY LOCAL EMS PERSONNEL THE PILOT LATER DIED AT THE HOSPITAL.

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 ERA09LA182Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBurgaw, NCA partial loss of engine power due to fuel contamination as a result of the pilot's operation of the airplane with a deteriorated fuel tank.Mar 5, 2009 · Substantial damage