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20140405018929A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Fortuna Dave SONEX-EXPERIMENTAL · Dunellon, FL · April 5, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 5, 2014 · 18:30 local
Place
Dunellon, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N229P
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA14FA464
Reported as
Fortuna Dave SONEX-EXPERIMENTAL
Reported engine
JABIRU 2200
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N229PRegistration cancelled Jan 3, 2018 · Fortuna Dave SONEX-EXPERIMENTALS/N 018Airframe modelFortuna Dave SONEX-EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Theodore weiss departed dunnellon Florida airport (X35) on April 5 2014 around 1400 EST. Heading towards his base of operation, leesburg airport, and the aircraft was reported missing after the aircraft didn?t make it back to its home airport. Ground searches were made in and around the dunnellon airport area and along possible paths of flight after the first couple weeks of being missing. On October 19 2014 hikers about 2 miles southwest of the dunnellon airport in a heavily wooded area found the wreckage of N299P inverted resting on the forest floor with, the body of Mr. Weiss still in the cockpit. Marion county sheriff?s office notified the roc of the wreckage being found.

On October 20 2014 inspector from orlando FSDO performed on scene investigation of the crash site. The inspector was unable to see damage to trees or ground since the crash was six months old. The aircraft inverted on the forest floor with pieces of canopy and miscellaneous items scattered about 500 feet in the reverse direction of flight. The right-wing tip sheared off from hitting a tree before hitting the forest floor. Form the impact of hitting the ground the engine broke off the engine mount truss assembly and was about 10 feet in front the aircraft. One blade of the propeller was undamaged and the other was broken off from impact. Mr. Weiss?s body was recovered from the aircraft. An inspection of the cockpit found the aircraft master switch and fuel selector valve off. During additional investigation by NTSB investigator found a hole in the main fuel supply line from the fuel selector valve to firewall inside the cockpit. Also determined that the engine had connectivity throughout and rotated freely. NTSB sent out the on board engine monitoring system and GPS for testing. Family members were unable to find the Mr. Weiss?s pilot log books or aircraft maintenance log book. It is believed at this time none of the nine FAA responsibilities are at fault for this accident.

As the FAA filed it

THEODORE WEISS DEPARTED DUNNELLON FLORIDA AIRPORT (X35) ON APRIL 5 2014 AROUND 1400 EST. HEADING TOWARDS HIS BASE OF OPERATION, LEESBURG AIRPORT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED MISSING AFTER THE AIRCRAFT DIDN?T MAKE IT BACK TO ITS HOME AIRPORT. GROUND SEARCHES WERE MADE IN AND AROUND THE DUNNELLON AIRPORT AREA AND ALONG POSSIBLE PATHS OF FLIGHT AFTER THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF BEING MISSING. ON OCTOBER 19 2014 HIKERS ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE DUNNELLON AIRPORT IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA FOUND THE WRECKAGE OF N299P INVERTED RESTING ON THE FOREST FLOOR WITH, THE BODY OF MR. WEISS STILL IN THE COCKPIT. MARION COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE NOTIFIED THE ROC OF THE WRECKAGE BEING FOUND.

ON OCTOBER 20 2014 INSPECTOR FROM ORLANDO FSDO PERFORMED ON SCENE INVESTIGATION OF THE CRASH SITE. THE INSPECTOR WAS UNABLE TO SEE DAMAGE TO TREES OR GROUND SINCE THE CRASH WAS SIX MONTHS OLD. THE AIRCRAFT INVERTED ON THE FOREST FLOOR WITH PIECES OF CANOPY AND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS SCATTERED ABOUT 500 FEET IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. THE RIGHT-WING TIP SHEARED OFF FROM HITTING A TREE BEFORE HITTING THE FOREST FLOOR. FORM THE IMPACT OF HITTING THE GROUND THE ENGINE BROKE OFF THE ENGINE MOUNT TRUSS ASSEMBLY AND WAS ABOUT 10 FEET IN FRONT THE AIRCRAFT. ONE BLADE OF THE PROPELLER WAS UNDAMAGED AND THE OTHER WAS BROKEN OFF FROM IMPACT. MR. WEISS?S BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AN INSPECTION OF THE COCKPIT FOUND THE AIRCRAFT MASTER SWITCH AND FUEL SELECTOR VALVE OFF. DURING ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION BY NTSB INVESTIGATOR FOUND A HOLE IN THE MAIN FUEL SUPPLY LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO FIREWALL INSIDE THE COCKPIT. ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE HAD CONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT AND ROTATED FREELY. NTSB SENT OUT THE ON BOARD ENGINE MONITORING SYSTEM AND GPS FOR TESTING. FAMILY MEMBERS WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE MR.WEISS?S PILOT LOG BOOKS OR AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOG BOOK. IT IS BELIEVED AT THIS TIME NONE OF THE NINE FAA RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AT FAULT FOR THIS ACCIDENT.

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 ERA14FA464Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportDunnellon, FLThe in-flight collision with a tree in a heavily wooded area during controlled flight while the pilot was attempting a forced landing for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. Contributing to the delay in locating the wreckage…Apr 5, 2014 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N229P · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20070210001589AFinal Approach · Atlanta, TX(-23) At approximately 1040L on February 10, 2007 aircraft N229P, piloted by [privacy data omitted] impacted a grouping of trees causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The pilot stated that he was making an approach to the grass strip that runs…Feb 10, 2007 · Substantial damage