N229P

Substantial
None

Fortuna SonexS/N: 018

Accident Details

Date
Saturday, February 10, 2007
NTSB Number
DFW07CA068
Location
Atlanta, TX
Event ID
20070403X00356
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed that resulted in a stall/mush. A contributing factor was the group of trees located near the departure end of the runway.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N229P
Make
FORTUNA
Serial Number
018
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
SonexBPAT
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
WEISS THEODORE T
Address
35150 COLONY HILLS DR
Status
Deregistered
City
ZEPHYRHILLS
State / Zip Code
FL 33541-8303
Country
United States

Analysis

The 275-hour private pilot, who reported having accumulated a total of 2.5 hours in the same make and model, reported that while practicing takeoff and landings on runway 33, he determined that he was too high on the approach and initiated a go-around. The pilot concluded that his 80-horsepower homebuilt airplane was not going to be able to clear the trees at the departure end of the 2,463-foot long, by 150-foot wide turf runway, so he turned the airplane 45-degrees to the left to avoid the trees. The pilot added that while maneuvering, the airplane stalled and collided with trees located about 100 yards west of the runway 33. The airplane came to rest in the inverted position at the base of the trees, resulting in structural damage to the wings and the fuselage. The canopy was also damaged. There was no fire. The pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was able to egress the airplane without injury. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that responded to the accident site noted that runway 15/33 is not annotated on the airport diagram thus there was no information about the obstructions present at either end of the runway. The weather reported at a nearby airport at the time of the accident was wind from 060 degrees at 3 knots, clear skies, and 10 miles visibility.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW07CA068