20091105051959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grumman Air G-111 · Ft. Pierce, FL · November 5, 2009

Date: November 5, 2009 · 15:34 local
Place: Ft. Pierce, FL
Airport: St Lucie County International
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N120FB
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA10LA050
Reported as: Grumman Air G-111
Reported engine: Curtis Wright 982C9HE3
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,095 total14 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N120FBRegistration cancelled Apr 30, 2013 · Grumman Aircraft ENG G-111S/N 7243 · Built 1953 Airframe modelGrumman Aircraft ENG G-111 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.

The initial take-off roll/acceleration seemed normal. Pilot rotated at approx 90-92 KTS. Takeoff appeared normal until about 20 ft in the air. The landing gear was in transit up at 96-98 KTS when the left engine started banging. The left engine completely failed and the red left "prop oil replenish light" came on. The pilot attempted to increase power on the right engine but the airspeed did not increase and the airplane did not get over 100 ft of altitude. The pilot attempted to put the airplane down on the blacktop road approaching the airport boundary. As the airplane got near the fence it quit flying and the wing tip dug in and the airplane swapped ends before it came to rest. The airplane went over a gully and crashed into a fence before making a complete stop and turn around. The aircraft damage was substantial.

As the FAA filed it

THE INITIAL TAKE-OFF ROLL/ACCELERATION SEEMED NORMAL. PILOT ROTATED AT APPROX 90-92 KTS. TAKEOFF APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 20 FT IN THE AIR. THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT UP AT 96-98 KTS WHEN THE LEFT ENGINE STARTED BANGING. THE LEFT ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED AND THE RED LEFT "PROP OIL REPLENISH LIGHT" CAME ON. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE BUT THE AIRSPEED DID NOT INCREASE AND THE AIRPLANE DID NOT GET OVER 100 FT OF ALTITUDE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN ON THE BLACKTOP ROAD APPROACHING THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY. AS THE AIRPLANE GOT NEAR THE FENCE IT QUIT FLYING AND THE WING TIP DUG IN AND THE AIRPLANE SWAPPED ENDS BEFORE IT CAME TO REST. THE AIRPLANE WENT OVER A GULLY AND CRASHED INTO A FENCE BEFORE MAKING A COMPLETE STOP AND TURN AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS SUBSTANTIAL.

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 ERA10LA050Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFt Pierce, FLA total loss of left engine power and subsequent failure of the airplane to maintain airspeed and altitude on the remaining engine for undetermined reasons.Nov 5, 2009 · Substantial damage