- Date
- March 19, 2011, 09:32 local (13:32 UTC)
- Place
- Gainesville, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N109BXBrown Narcisse A Christen Eagle II
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern base: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110319006089A
- Case key
- 78594
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 airspeed while turning from base leg to final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with the ground.
Findings · 2
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
According to tower air traffic controller statements, the pilot completed the right downwind leg of the traffic pattern, then flew a short base leg. As the airplane began turning on to the final approach, about 100 feet above the ground, the airplane yawed, rolled right, and nosed down into the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot could not recall the events that transpired during the accident sequence. A subsequent examination of the wreckage performed by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to tower controller statements, the airplane completed the right downwind leg of the traffic pattern, then flew a "short" base leg. As it began turning on to the final approach, about 100 feet above the ground, the airplane yawed, rolled right, and nosed down into the ground. Postflight examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot was seriously injured and could not recall the events that transpired during the accident sequence. A subsequent examination of the wreckage performed by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N109BX
- Reported as
- Brown Narcisse A Christen Eagle II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0245
- Airframe hours
- 424
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Marshall Jon Cook
- Registered owner
- Marshall Jon Cook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 2010
- Departed
- KGNV · Gainesville, FL
- Destination
- KGNV · Gainesville, FL
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KGNV · Gainesville Regional Airport, runway 25, 4,158 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 662 total · 126 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- GVN
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.