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20200905012739A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Boeing A75N1(PT17) · Henderson, TX · September 5, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 5, 2020 · 13:30 local
Place
Henderson, TX
Airport
Rusk County Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N373VU
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN20LA383
Reported as
Boeing A75N1(PT17)
Reported engine
Continental W670 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
40 total10 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N373VURegistration cancelled Feb 4, 2023 · Boeing A75N1(PT17)S/N 75-970Airframe modelBoeing A75N1(PT17)Engine modelContinental W670 seriesReciprocating

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.

On September 5, 2020, at about 1430 CST, N373VU, a Boeing stearman A75N1 (PT17), was involved in an accident in which the aircraft was substantially damaged. Both occupants, the pilot and his passenger, sustained minor injuries.

N373VU was departing Rusk County Airport (krfi), from runway 35, when shortly after becoming airborne, the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude, entered a left turn and shortly after leveling off the tail struck the top of a the tree, to left of the departure end of the runway, causing the aircraft to go down thru the trees and coming to rest on the ground on its engine and propeller.

The aircraft propeller, wings, fuselage and empennage suffered substantial damage from impact. The left horizontal stabilizer had detached from the aircraft and was caught up on the canopy of the tree line. Visual examination of the wreckage on site did not reveal any obvious pre-impact issues.

A witness, whom saw the accident from the terminal window, stated that he saw the aircraft become airborne and that it seemed as if the aircraft never got over 150 feet off the ground and that it entered a left turn shortly after take off, to what appeared like a stall, and then disappeared over the trees.

Fuel transaction report obtained from the Rusk County Airport FBO indicated that approximately 21.470 gallons of 100LL fuel was sold to N373VU shortly before departure.

Aircraft record examination indicated that the last annual inspection was performed on 08/10/2020. The engine on the aircraft had been installed on 08/05/2020, as the previous engine had seized up, resulting in an incident that took place back in July 2019. The engine that was installed was overhauled in October 2009 and had been pickled and preserved until it was purchased and installed on this aircraft. The engine had only been operated for run up, test flights, and the trip from paris, TX to Rusk County Airport (Henderson, TX), since it was installed.

The pilot in command posses a student pilot certificate and a denied medical (medical date 08/03/2019).

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2020, AT ABOUT 1430 CST, N373VU, A BOEING STEARMAN A75N1 (PT17), WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. BOTH OCCUPANTS, THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.

N373VU WAS DEPARTING RUSK COUNTY AIRPORT (KRFI), FROM RUNWAY 35, WHEN SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, ENTERED A LEFT TURN AND SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF THE TAIL STRUCK THE TOP OF A THE TREE, TO LEFT OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO GO DOWN THRU THE TREES AND COMING TO REST ON THE GROUND ON ITS ENGINE AND PROPELLER.

THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER, WINGS, FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM IMPACT. THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS CAUGHT UP ON THE CANOPY OF THE TREE LINE. VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE ON SITE DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS PRE-IMPACT ISSUES.

A WITNESS, WHOM SAW THE ACCIDENT FROM THE TERMINAL WINDOW, STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT BECOME AIRBORNE AND THAT IT SEEMED AS IF THE AIRCRAFT NEVER GOT OVER 150 FEET OFF THE GROUND AND THAT IT ENTERED A LEFT TURN SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF, TO WHAT APPEARED LIKE A STALL, AND THEN DISAPPEARED OVER THE TREES.

FUEL TRANSACTION REPORT OBTAINED FROM THE RUSK COUNTY AIRPORT FBO INDICATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 21.470 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL WAS SOLD TO N373VU SHORTLY BEFORE DEPARTURE.

AIRCRAFT RECORD EXAMINATION INDICATED THAT THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON 08/10/2020. THE ENGINE ON THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON 08/05/2020, AS THE PREVIOUS ENGINE HAD SEIZED UP, RESULTING IN AN INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE BACK IN JULY 2019. THE ENGINE THAT WAS INSTALLED WAS OVERHAULED IN OCTOBER 2009 AND HAD BEEN PICKLED AND PRESERVED UNTIL IT WAS PURCHASED AND INSTALLED ON THIS AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE HAD ONLY BEEN OPERATED FOR RUN UP, TEST FLIGHTS, AND THE TRIP FROM PARIS, TX TO RUSK COUNTY AIRPORT (HENDERSON, TX), SINCE IT WAS INSTALLED.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND POSSES A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE AND A DENIED MEDICAL (MEDICAL DATE 08/03/2019).

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 CEN20LA383Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportHenderson, TXThe pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall after takeoff.Sep 5, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N373VU · 1

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

Incident 20190718012049ICruise/Level Flight · Paris, TXThe incident pilot was flying his aircraft in the traffic pattern around the Paris, Texas airport (prx) when he experience an engine failure. The pilot elected to land in a pasture as he deemed he did not have enough altitude and airspeed to safely reach the…Jul 18, 2019 · Minor damage