# NTSB CHI07LA238: Swanson Aventura II, N914JS, Lakewood, WI, July 28, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 28, 2007, 12:47 local (17:47 UTC) - Place: Lakewood, WI - Coordinates: 45.342224, -88.538055 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.3422&lon=-88.5381&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 serious - Status: Completed, report April 30, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 66345 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI07LA238 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66345/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=66345 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07LA238 ## Probable cause The pilot's excessive pull up, his not maintaining airspeed, and the inadvertent stall resulting in the loss of control. A factor contributing to the accident was the trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Abrupt maneuver, takeoff - initial climb - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) - pull-up - excessive, pilot in command (cause) - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall/spin - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis A witness said he saw the pilot make two attempts to take off from a lake. On the third attempt, the witness said the airplane pulled up sharply, leveled off momentarily , and then the left wing "dipped," and the airplane "dropped" and struck trees and then the ground. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. ## Factual narrative On July 28, 2007, about 1247 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built amphibious Swanson Aventura II airplane, N914JS, sustained substantial damage on impact with trees and terrain near Lakewood, Wisconsin. The personal flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the passenger received serious injuries. The flight was originating from Lake John, near Lakewood, Wisconsin, at the time of the accident. A witness reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector that he saw the airplane on the southwest side of the lake start a takeoff roll and abort its takeoff due to a boat. The airplane returned to its starting spot and started another takeoff roll. The airplane aborted this takeoff when it encountered the wake from the boat. The airplane maneuvered into a cove at the northeast end of the lake and started to take off from there. The available takeoff distance from that location was shorter. The witness indicated that the airplane pulled up sharply to clear the trees, leveled off briefly, the left wing "dipped," and the airplane "dropped." The airplane was found with its engine still running. At 1154, the recorded weather at the Ford Airport, near Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Michigan, was: Wind 250 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 28 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter 30.05 inches of mercury. FAA inspectors examined the wreckage on-scene. The examination revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report. The report stated: 0.579 (ug/mL, ug/g) MIDAZOLAM detected in Liver MIDAZOLAM NOT detected in Blood 0.064 (ug/mL, ug/g) MIDAZOLAM detected in Kidney 0.04 (ug/mL, ug/g) MIDAZOLAM detected in Spleen NAPROXEN detected in Blood LIDOCAINE detected in Blood EPHEDRINE detected in Blood. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N914JS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N914JS-2013-11-12), registration cancelled 2013-11-12, S/N AP2A0063, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Swanson Aventura II - Registry model: [Swanson Jeffrey R AVENTURA II](https://openairdocs.org/model/swanson-jeffrey-r-aventura-ii) (registry code 05607QV) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: AP2A0063 - Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Jeffrey R. Swanson - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: Lakewood, WI ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; toxicology performed; flight hours: 650 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: IMT, 30 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 20070728020419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070728020419A), Jul 28, 2007: Amtr AVENTURAII, Lakewood, WI, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) At approximately 1147 hours local time the pilot [privacy data omitted] and one passenger attempted to depart lake john, near Lakewood, WI. In N914JS, an… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 16, 2008, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=66345. 154 KB in all. - Witness Statement (item 1, .PDF, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40292333&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 2, .PDF, 82 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40292334&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-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.