20140223002199A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Sabrena DRAGONFLY · Maricopa, AZ · February 23, 2014

Date: February 23, 2014 · 16:17 local
Place: Maricopa, AZ
Airport: Ak-Chin Regional Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N7745C
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR14LA119
Reported as: Sabrena Dragonfly
Reported engine: ROTAX 582
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 763 total

N7745CRegistered now · Sabrena DRAGONFLYS/N 072403 Airframe modelSabrena DRAGONFLY Engine modelRotax 582SER2 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.

Aircraft approached airfield from a southwest position. Witnesses stated that aircraft was approx 30-40 feet AGL. Witness stated aircraft then pitched up dramatically then nosed over followed by another high pitch angle. Witness noted a left wing drop followed by 2-3 spin rotations before impact.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT APPROACHED AIRFIELD FROM A SOUTHWEST POSITION. WITNESSES STATED THAT AIRCRAFT WAS APPROX 30-40 FEET AGL. WITNESS STATED AIRCRAFT THEN PITCHED UP DRAMATICALLY THEN NOSED OVER FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER HIGH PITCH ANGLE. WITNESS NOTED A LEFT WING DROP FOLLOWED BY 2-3 SPIN ROTATIONS BEFORE IMPACT.

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 WPR14LA119Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMaricopa, AZThe pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and subsequently experiencing an aerodynamic stall and spin at a low altitude.Feb 24, 2014 · Substantial damage