Darrell FALCONAR F9 N218DA

Summary

On 21 July 1995 at about 00:45 local time, a Darrell FALCONAR F9 registered N218DA, operated by Dream Aircraft, Inc., was involved in an accident near Grand Haven, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 July 1995 at 00:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Haven, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Grand Haven Memorial (3GM)

Coordinates

43.0505, -86.2193

Aircraft

Darrell FALCONAR F9

Registration

N218DA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dream Aircraft, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95LA229

1 person died.

Failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed during the climb after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's use of an unapproved drug while flying, his lack of experience in the make and model of airplane, and his lack of recent flight experience.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that the airplane departed runway 9 and was about 1,500 feet from the runway when it appeared to stall. The co-owner of the plane also witnessed the accident. He noted that the airplane was in a nose-high attitude and was 'climbing too steep.' Also, a witness reported that the engine 'never missed a beat' and sounded good. During impact, the airplane hit a power line, tree(s), and the ground. The pilot had logged only 1 hour of flight time in the accident aircraft, which was also the total number of hours he had logged in the last 90 days. Examination of the airplane revealed continuity of the engine and flight controls. All the engine accessories were intact. There were 5 gallons of aviation fuel on board. A toxicology test of the pilot's blood revealed 0.119 mcg/ml Propoxyphene (Darvon), 0.937 mcg/ml Norpropoxyphene (metabolite of Propoxyphene), and 8.3 mcg/ml Acetaminophen (ingredient of Tylenol). The prescription drug, Propoxyphene, is a narcotic pain reliever that is not approved for use while flying an airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.