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20090424016809A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Tecnam P2002 SIERRA · Lake Wales, FL · April 24, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 24, 2009 · 11:10 local
Place
Lake Wales, FL
Airport
Chalet Suzanne Air Strip
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N122LS
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA09CA262
Reported as
Tecnam P2002SIERRA
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX*
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
69 total69 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days
N122LSRegistration cancelled Jan 11, 2018 · Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2002 SIERRAS/N 200 · Built 2006Airframe modelCostruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2002 SIERRAEngine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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.

The pilot departed on runway 18 in a special light sport airplane, with his grandson onboard. The turf runway was 2,313-feet-long by 50-feet-wide, and sloped down toward the middle, with sandy, soft soil. The recorded wind at an airport located 9 miles west of the accident airport, about the time of the accident, was from 150 degrees at 4 knots. The airplane weight about 1,250 pounds at the time of departure; less than the maximum gross weight of 1,320 pounds. A witness stated that the pilot attempted to rotate and climb, but did not lower the airplane's pitch attitude to gain airspeed in ground effect. The airplane contacted the ground once, about 1,600 feet, and again about 2,500 feet from the point of initial takeoff. According to the witness, the pilot continued his takeoff roll and wallowed in ground effect. The right wing of the airplane impacted a tree, approximately 15 feet above ground level and the airplane came to rest inverted. A postcrash fire subsequently consumed the airplane.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 18 IN A SPECIAL LIGHT SPORT AIRPLANE, WITH HIS GRANDSON ONBOARD. THE TURF RUNWAY WAS 2,313-FEET-LONG BY 50-FEET-WIDE, AND SLOPED DOWN TOWARD THE MIDDLE, WITH SANDY, SOFT SOIL. THE RECORDED WIND AT AN AIRPORT LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT, ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, WAS FROM 150 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT ABOUT 1,250 POUNDS AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE; LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF 1,320 POUNDS. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ROTATE AND CLIMB, BUT DID NOT LOWER THE AIRPLANE'S PITCH ATTITUDE TO GAIN AIRSPEED IN GROUND EFFECT. THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE GROUND ONCE, ABOUT 1,600 FEET, AND AGAIN ABOUT 2,500 FEET FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL TAKEOFF. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THE PILOT CONTINUED HIS TAKEOFF ROLL AND WALLOWED IN GROUND EFFECT. THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A TREE, APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. A POSTCRASH FIRE SUBSEQUENTLY CONSUMED THE AIRPLANE.

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 ERA09CA262Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportLake Wales, FLThe pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control and failure to maintain clearance from trees during initial climb.Apr 24, 2009 · Substantial damage