Summary
On March 23, 2014, a Fantasy Air Sro ALLEGRO 2000 (N90650) was involved in an accident near Kill Devil Hills, NC. The accident resulted in 2 serious injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing approach in gusty wind conditions.
According to the sport pilot, while turning from the left base to the final leg of the approach for runway 2, with engine power reduced to "near" idle, a gust of wind came from the right and the airplane lost altitude. He attempted to recover the altitude loss by rolling the airplane to a wing level attitude and adding full power; however, the airplane impacted the top of a tree. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the wings, fuselage, and tail section were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA14CA165. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N90650.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing approach in gusty wind conditions.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the sport pilot, while turning from the left base to the final leg of the approach for runway 2, with engine power reduced to "near" idle, a gust of wind came from the right and the airplane lost altitude. He attempted to recover the altitude loss by rolling the airplane to a wing level attitude and adding full power; however, the airplane impacted the top of a tree. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the wings, fuselage, and tail section were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. Around the time of the accident, the wind at the airport was from 020 degrees at 12 knots with gust to 19 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA14CA165