# NTSB CEN11CA242: Darrow Stephen A Aventura, N1317L, Ferris, TX, March 21, 2011 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: March 21, 2011, 09:15 local (14:15 UTC) - Place: Ferris, TX - Coordinates: 32.507221, -96.592781 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5072&lon=-96.5928&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 11, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administraton - NTSB case key (mKey): 78656 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN11CA242 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/78656/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78656 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA242 ## Probable cause The pilot’s loss of aircraft control during landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen A AVENTURA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=056023O), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Windows-windshield system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035600): Aircraft › Aircraft structures · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen A AVENTURA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035600/cases.md?model=056023O), [All aircraft, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035600/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen A AVENTURA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=056023O), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen A AVENTURA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=056023O), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was delivering the amphibious airplane to the owner's private grass airstrip. While on final approach, the pilot lost control and the airplane impacted the ground in a left wing low attitude. The airplane came to rest in an upright position short of the runway's threshold. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident. He said that the airplane's windshield was dirty and that while landing he couldn't see through it. ## Factual narrative The pilot was delivering the amphibious airplane to the owner's private grass airstrip. While on final approach to the runway, the pilot lost control and the airplane impacted the ground in a left wing low attitude. The airplane came to rest in an upright position short of the the runway's threshold. The airplane's fuselage to wing attachment structure was substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot later reported that the airplane's windshield was dirty and that while landing he couldn't see through it. The pilot further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1317L](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1317L), registered now, S/N AP2A0009 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Darrow Stephen A Aventura - Registry model: [Darrow Stephen A AVENTURA](https://openairdocs.org/model/darrow-stephen-a-aventura) (registry code 056023O) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 582SER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582ser) (registry code 55556, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: AP2A0009 - Engines: Rotax 582 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: T13, Palmer, TX - Destination: Ferris, TX - Airport: N/A, Private Airstrip, runway 12, 1,000 × 25 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 74; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 11, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 5,800 total, 2 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,800 ft broken - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: LNC, 8 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20110321005149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110321005149A), Mar 21, 2011: Darrow Stephen A AVENTURA, Ferris, TX, Substantial damage. Upon review of the video of your current accident investigation, the following deficiencies were noted:1. Pilot failed to maintain a visual glide path to the… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78656. 301 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 213 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40349092&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Record of conversation (item 2, .PDF, 44 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40348977&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=RECORD%20OF%20CONVERSATION-Master.PDF - Description of Video Clip (item 3, .PDF, 44 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40348978&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Description%20of%20Video%20Clip-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.