Mankovich SONERAI N7037J

Summary

On 30 August 1996 at about 16:30 local time, a Mankovich SONERAI registered N7037J was involved in an accident near Jeffersonville, Indiana, 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

30 August 1996 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

38.3006, -85.7207

Aircraft

Mankovich SONERAI

Registration

N7037J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seymour → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI96FA322

1 person died.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.