20141020021169A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Sonex SONEX · Fawnskin, CA · October 20, 2014

Date: October 20, 2014 · 10:45 local
Place: Fawnskin, CA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N91922
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR15FA016
Reported as: Sonex Sonex
Reported engine: Volkswagon 2180 AEROVEE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N91922Registration cancelled Jun 1, 2018 · Sonex SONEXS/N 811 Airframe modelSonex SONEX 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 aircraft departed from big bear airport. Approximately 5 minutes into the flight the aircraft banked left to almost 90 degrees. The nose then dropped to a nearly vertical attitude untill ground impact. The aircraft was destroyed. One fatality.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM BIG BEAR AIRPORT. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT BANKED LEFT TO ALMOST 90 DEGREES. THE NOSE THEN DROPPED TO A NEARLY VERTICAL ATTITUDE UNTILL GROUND IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. ONE FATALITY.

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 WPR15FA016Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportFawnskin, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed after takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall/spin at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the airplane's reduced climb…Oct 20, 2014 · Substantial damage