- Date
- September 30, 1989, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Interlochen, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N76DJFletcher SONERAI-2L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890930037169A
- Case key
- 14202
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
Loose cylinder due to improper maintenance by the pilot/owner, which resulted in overheating and failure of the aluminum cylinder head. The presence of trees was considered to be a factor.
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
During the initial climb after takeoff, the eng lost power. Subsequently, the plt was unable to return to the arpt & the acft collided with trees during an emergency landing. New valves had recently been installed in the eng. An exam of the home built acft's eng revealed the #3 cylinder head was loose & a hole had melted in the aluminum cylinder head.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76DJ
- Reported as
- Fletcher SONERAI-2L
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 9123
- Engine
- Revmaster 2100D, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fletcher, William D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Destination
- 5D5 · Northport, MI
- Airport
- Y88 · Green Lake, runway 23, 2,800 × 170 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,080 total · 77 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 11 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.