# NTSB NYC06LA187: Burleigh SeaRey, N4293S, Ringoes, NJ, July 30, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 30, 2006, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: Ringoes, NJ - Coordinates: 40.439998, -74.811668 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4400&lon=-74.8117&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report January 31, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 64216 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC06LA187 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64216/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=64216 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC06LA187 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Factors included a partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb - reason for occurrence undetermined (contributing factor) - Loss of control - in flight, climb - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis A witness familiar with the airplane reported that shortly after takeoff, he heard the engine "misfire and sputter," which caused him to look up. He then saw the airplane in a vertical dive, with the underside facing him. The airplane subsequently disappeared behind trees, and the witness heard it impact the ground. Photographs revealed that the ground impact was nose first, consistent with a stall. The engine rpm gauge indicated 2,900 rpm, the two wooden propeller blades displayed fractures in a direction opposite rotation, and ground scars were present in the propeller's plane of rotation; all of which indicated the engine was under power at impact. There were several fields available for a forced landing. No medical problems were noted with the pilot/mechanic, who had over 16,000 hours of flight time. There were also no mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane. ## Factual narrative On July 30, 2006, about 1100 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built SeaRey, N4293S, was destroyed shortly after takeoff from the pilot's private airstrip in Ringoes, New Jersey. The certificated airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a witness, he heard the airplane's engine start and the airplane taxi. The airplane, which the witness had heard "many times previously," sounded "normal." The witness then heard the airplane take off toward the north. Shortly thereafter, he heard the engine "misfire and sputter," which caused him to look up. He then saw the airplane in a "vertical dive," with the underside facing him. The airplane subsequently disappeared behind trees, and the witness heard it impact the ground. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector provided photographs of the accident scene. As seen in several photographs, the wreckage was mostly confined to one spot, with no obvious ground scarring leading up to it. The high-wing, pusher-configured airplane was upside down and the nose section was destroyed. The engine, which remained attached to its normal above-wing location, was also upside down, resting on the ground. The top of the rudder, along with the horizontal stabilizer and elevator, were also in contact with the ground. Both wings were upside down and still attached to the fuselage, with the right wing almost flush with the ground, and the left wing sticking up at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Both wings displayed leading edge crushing. The wooden propeller was fractured about mid-span on both blades. Both blades and their corresponding remnants displayed fractures in a direction opposite rotation. Ground scars were also present in the plane of rotation. A photograph of the engine rpm gauge revealed that the faceplate was missing, and that the face was bent in several places. The indicator needle was pointing to the 2,900 rpm marking. The inspector did not note any mechanical anomalies which would have precluded normal operation. The photographs and a satellite image of the area indicated that several fields were available for a forced landing. The pilot, age 63, held an airline transport pilot certificate, with airplane multiengine land and B-727 ratings. He also held a commercial certificate with glider, single engine land, single engine sea, and lighter-than-air free balloon ratings. In addition, he was a certificated flight instructor for airplane single and multi-engine, instrument airplane, and glider, and held a certificate for airframe and powerplant mechanic. On his latest FAA third class airman medical certificate application, dated June 19, 2006, the pilot indicated he had 16,800 hours of flight time. An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Hunterdon County Medical Examiner's Office, Flemington, New Jersey, which reported the cause of death to be blunt force trauma. Toxicological testing was performed by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with no drugs detected. Weather, reported at an airport 12 nautical miles to the northeast, at 1053, included clear skies, winds from 010 degrees true at 6 knots, temperature 84 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 68 degrees Fahrenheit. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4293S](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4293S-2013-05-01), registration cancelled 2013-05-01, S/N 1MK026, built 1994 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Burleigh SeaRey - Registry model: [Burleigh Ron SEA REY](https://openairdocs.org/model/burleigh-ron-sea-rey) (registry code 05626QX) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1MK026 - Airframe hours: 695 - Engines: Rotax 912 80 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Terry Harrison - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: NONE, Ringoes, NJ - Flight plan: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: fatal; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 16,800 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 10° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 29.81 inHg - Observed at: SMQ, 12 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060730014739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060730014739A), Jul 30, 2006: Amtr SEAREY, Ringoes, NJ, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. (-23) According to a neighbor who lived across the street from the accident site, he"...heard the aircraft engine start and then taxi which sounded normal as I… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 31, 2007, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=64216. 9.7 MB in all. - Witness Statement (item 1, .PDF, 793 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286989&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 2, .PDF, 768 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286993&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Wreckage Release (item 3, .PDF, 184 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40408768&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Release-Redacted.PDF - FAA Photo - Airplane Side View (item 4, .PDF, 332 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286977&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Photo%20-%20Airplane%20Side%20View-Master.PDF - FAA Photo - Airplane Front View (item 5, .PDF, 348 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286978&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Photo%20-%20Airplane%20Front%20View-Master.PDF - NJDOT Photo - Engine with Most of Propeller (item 6, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286979&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NJDOT%20Photo%20-%20Engine%20with%20Most%20of%20Propeller-Master.PDF - NJDOT Photo - Propeller Remnant #1 (item 7, .PDF, 2.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286982&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NJDOT%20Photo%20-%20Propeller%20Remnant%20%231-Master.PDF - NJDOT Photo - Propeller Remnant #2 (item 8, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286983&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NJDOT%20Photo%20-%20Propeller%20Remnant%20%232-Master.PDF - FAA Photo - Engine RPM Gauge (item 9, .PDF, 346 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40286976&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Photo%20-%20Engine%20RPM%20Gauge-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.