- Date
- April 27, 1991, 12:42 local (16:42 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4FDDonald L. Hedeman SONERAI-II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910427012779A
- Case key
- 32855
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 improper adjustment of the carburetor.
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
Witnesses stated eng did not sound as if it was producing full power on takeoff. Shortly after takeoff the eng quit. As the plt attempted a forced landing on an alley the acft touched down hard in a right slip. The acft then bounced into the air, traveled 80 feet, collided with a telephone pole, and came to rest. After the accident a large amount of automotive fuel leaked from the ruptured fuel tank and lines. Exam of the eng after the accident revealed the spark plugs, pistons, and cylinders had excessive black soot deposits. The carb idle adjusting screw was stripped and the mixture control screw had recent tooling marks on it. Witnesses stated that the engine had been operating with a rich fuel mixture and that the pilot had been attempting to adjust it to the proper setting.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4FD
- Reported as
- Donald L. Hedeman SONERAI-II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 00267
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1860, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Millhof, Gerald N.
- Registered owner
- Millhof, Gerald N.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- CRG · Craig Municipal, runway 23, 4,001 × 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 575 total · 84 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRG, 1 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.