Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sears Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bridgeport, Texas 76426
Friday, May 29, 2009 11:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor said that when he arrived at the private pilot's private airstrip they both conducted a preflight inspection of the ultralight airplane. The instructor then proceeded to taxi up and down the runway before he departed on a short solo flight. During this flight, he performed basic turns and discovered that when a small amount of aileron input was applied he needed to apply a much larger input of rudder to maintain coordinated flight. After landing, the instructor informed the private pilot about the rudder/aileron relationship and that it would be too noisy for him to provide any instruction. The private pilot, who had never flown the ultralight before, still wanted to fly it around the airstrip and asked the instructor to go with him. The instructor agreed and they departed. The instructor said that when they were on downwind, the private pilot turned around and said something, but that he was unable to hear what the pilot said and that he then immediately saw a tree. Two witnesses reported seeing the airplane make a sharp left bank and nose over. One of the witnesses said the engine was running at the time. Examination of the ultralight revealed that it had sustained substantial damage to the airframe, wings and tail section. The fuel in the fuel tank had a foul odor, but the reason for the foul odor was not determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor and pilot's decision to take off with known control deficiencies with the aircraft which resulted in a loss of control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/29/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bridgeport |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76426 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 331019N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0974925W |
| Event Location Airport | Sears |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | None |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 900 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1125 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 345 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | XBP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 852 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26297 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FTW FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 3 2010 12:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N31773 |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA331 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GENTRY JOHN K |
| Aircraft Model | CHINOOK PL |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 02282XS |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CORNELL HENRY F |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 1246 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BRIDGEPORT |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76426-1216 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Jim Sears |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Paradise |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 76073 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | None |
| Departure City | Bridgeport |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | None |
| Destination City | Bridgeport |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 12 2010 4:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |