- Date
- May 24, 2006, 18:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Millbrook, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N289AEEspinal Velocity Jet 900
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060524021869A
- Case key
- 63756
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/owner's inadequate preflight which resulted in a partial loss of engine power due to a clogged fuel vent.
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/owner/builder departed on his first solo flight in the homebuilt, jet-powered, Velocity Jet 900 airplane with no jet airplane experience or training. After takeoff, the airplane climbed above traffic pattern altitude at "4 to 5 thousand feet-per-minute" and accelerated above 200 knots on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot reduced power to flight idle to descend and complete the traffic pattern for landing. The airplane was "low" on the base leg of the pattern, the pilot advanced the throttle, the engine did not accelerate, but continued to run at the flight idle setting. As the airplane approached the runway, "I got too slow, lost control, and crashed 100 feet short of the runway." Examination of the wreckage revealed the fuel tank vent was clogged with dirt and insect remains. There were no other deficiencies noted.
Factual narrative
The pilot/owner/builder completed a preflight inspection using the checklist he wrote for his airplane. He departed on his first solo flight in the homebuilt, jet-powered, Velocity Jet 900 airplane. He had no prior jet-powered airplane experience or training. After takeoff, the airplane climbed above traffic pattern altitude at "4 to 5 thousand feet-per-minute" and accelerated above 200 knots on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot then reduced power to flight idle to descend and complete the traffic pattern for landing. The airplane was "low" on the base leg of the pattern, so the pilot advanced the throttle, but the engine did not accelerate, and continued to run at the flight idle setting. As the airplane approached the runway, "I got too slow, lost control, and crashed 100 feet short of the runway." Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel tank vent was clogged with dirt and insect remains. There were no other deficiencies noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N289AE
- Reported as
- Espinal Velocity Jet 900
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- AE-125
- Engine
- General Electric T58-8F, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Antonio D. Espinal
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 44N · Millbrook, NY
- Destination
- 44N
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 984 total · 1 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.