- Date
- April 19, 2007, 19:35 local (23:35 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N11798Monocoupe 90A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070419008619A
- Case key
- 65647
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 flare and failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a stall and subsequent loss of control. A factor was the sun glare.
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
As the pilot flared for landing, the setting sun "got into [his] eyes," and he misjudged the airplane's height above the runway. He flared "too high," the airplane "stalled," rolled to the right, and impacted a ditch that was parallel to the runway. The pilot reported he could have prevented the accident by increasing his approach to landing speed and initiating the flare closer to the ground.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, as he flared the Monocoupe 90A for landing, the setting sun "got into [his] eyes," and he misjudged the airplane's height above the runway. He flared "too high," the airplane "stalled," rolled to the right, and impacted a ditch that was parallel to the runway. The pilot reported he could have prevented the accident by increasing his approach to landing speed and initiating the flare closer to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11798
- Reported as
- Monocoupe 90A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A-722
- Airframe hours
- 1,060
- Engine
- Lambert R-266, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Daniel Sommer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2006
- Departed
- OCF · Ocala, FL
- Destination
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Airport
- LAL · Lakeland Linder Regional, runway 27, 8,500 × 75 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
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 838 total · 50 in this make and model · 797 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 30° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.