Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Burnet Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Burnet, Texas 78611
Saturday, November 14, 2009 12:15 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to several witnesses, the pilot radioed that he was experiencing a loss of engine power and was attempting a forced landing. Witnesses who saw the airplane reported that during the forced landing attempt the nose of airplane dropped and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain in a nose-low attitude. An examination of the flight controls and airframe structure revealed no preaccident anomalies that would have prevented the pilot from maintaining aircraft control. An examination of the engine and fuel system revealed a white substance inside the main fuel tank which had clogged the fuel screen. Laboratory examination of this substance revealed that it was polyurethane. The sealant used to seal the fuel tank contained polyurethane designed to be used to bond the sealant to a metal tank. The airframe builder added this sealant to the accident airplane's plastic (polyethylene) tank when he encountered a leak within the fuel system at the fuel fitting. An examination of the remaining engine and systems revealed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power due to a clogged fuel screen that resulted in fuel starvation caused by the builder's inappropriate use of a fuel tank sealant in a plastic tank.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/14/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1215 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Burnet |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78611 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Burnet Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KBMQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1284 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1210 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KBQM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1284 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 14 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.9 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27399 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ASW ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 2 2010 2:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N10DA |
| NTSB Number | CEN10LA050 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AUGUSTINE DAVID L |
| Aircraft Model | SONEX |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 332 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 6 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 190 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HARRIS LOUIS M |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 312 COUNTY ROAD 420 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPICEWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78669-3070 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | HARRIS LOUIS M |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 312 COUNTY ROAD 420 |
| Operator City | SPICEWOOD |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78669-3070 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 44TE |
| Departure City | Kingsland |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1145 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Spicewood |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 18 2010 4:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |