- Date
- June 8, 1989, 19:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fowlerville, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N288LJJob Sonerai II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890608014679A
- Case key
- 14178
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's discontinuing visual lookout to scan gages before clearing a known obstacle on the departure path from the runway. A factor in the accident is the pilot's lack of experience in this model airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot completed taxi tests on the aircraft and accelerated for takeoff on the first flight following certification of the homebuilt airplane. During initial climbout from the private sod strip, the airplane collided with a tree at the departure end of the runway and fell 50 feet to ground. The pilot states he noted forward and side visibility from the cockpit was limited and that he became preoccupied with instruments after liftoff. He noticed tree branches ahead as the collision occurred. The pilot was the owner of the airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N288LJ
- Reported as
- Job Sonerai II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 002
- Engine
- Volkswagen 7499 EVAS, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald C. Cooper
- Registered owner
- Larry L. Job
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 8, 1989 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Fowlerville, MI
- Airport
- NONE · Glover Field, runway 36, 2,600 × 40 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 3,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.