Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130
Friday, August 30, 1996 12:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot's airplane was #2 in a 4-airplane ferry formation of Formula V Class racing airplanes. The #3 pilot said that the #2 pilot's flying was erratic during the flight. 'He had a hard time staying in position. He would fly ahead, then drop back.' The witness said when they were within a mile of the landing airport, [the pilot] 'pulled straight up, pulled left to the east at full power, then went into a slight descent.' The witness said that he flew up along side of the pilot's airplane to try and get his attention. 'I couldn't get his eye. He would not even look at me. I chased him about 5 miles before I lost sight of him. The last time I saw him, he was below 500 feet.' Examination of the wreckage revealed that the adhesive resin which bound the rubber stripping forming the firewall lower seal was missing. The airplane had been involved in 2 earlier landing accidents, and had been repaired/inspected by pilots/mechanics of the racing association. The pilot/mechanic performed the annual inspection on 5/1/96. Two days before the accident flight the pilot said that he experienced smoke in the cockpit. He also said that the temperature was '185 degrees' and that he was very hot. The results of FAA toxicology specimens from the pilot revealed a carboxyhemoglobin saturation of 41.000 percent in the blood; loss of consciousness is attained at approximately 30.000 percent.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
inadequate maintenance and inspection of the airplane by the pilot/owner and other airframe and powerplant mechanics, which failed to assure adequate sealing of the engine firewall, and led to the pilot's incapacitation due to carbon monoxide.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/30/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | JEFFERSONVILLE |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 47130 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1256 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LOU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 474 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1212 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 30 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1533 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7037J |
| NTSB Number | CHI96FA322 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mankovich |
| Aircraft Model | SONERAI |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SONERAI |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 547 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 90 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MICHAEL D. MICHAEL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. BOX 1113 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CICERO |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 13039 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SER |
| Departure City | SEYMOUR |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1210 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | JVY |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |