- Date
- March 29, 2009, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dade City, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N273LHSIAI Marchetti SM-1019B
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090329005279A
- Case key
- 73566
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 failure to maintain directional control during initial climb.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was departing east from a 900-foot-long by 50-foot-wide private turf runway. When the airplane was about 20 feet above the ground, a "significant" wind gust pushed the airplane left, and its left wing contacted a tree branch and spun the airplane around. The airplane incurred damage to both wings and the engine separated from the airframe. Reported winds in the vicinity, about the time of the accident, were from the west at 13 knots. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated that he should have remained south of the runway centerline as the predominant winds are southerly. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was departing east from a 900-foot-long by 50-foot-wide private turf runway. When the airplane was about 20 feet above the ground, a "significant" wind gust pushed the airplane left, and its left wing contacted a tree branch and spun the airplane around. The airplane came to rest facing opposite the direction of the departure, and had incurred damage to both wings, in addition to separating the engine from the airframe. Reported winds in the vicinity, about the time of the accident, were from the west at 13 knots. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated that he should remain south of the runway centerline as the predominant winds are southerly. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N273LH
- Reported as
- SIAI Marchetti SM-1019B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6
- Airframe hours
- 1,100
- Engine
- Allison 250, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2008 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- None · Dade City, FL
- Destination
- None · Dade City, FL
- Airport
- None · Roma Dade City Airport, runway 09, 900 × 50 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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,584 total · 75 in this make and model · 4,584 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BKV, 13 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.