Sukhoi SU-31 N31SU
30 April 2004 · Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 30 April 2004 at about 18:15 local time, a Sukhoi SU-31 registered N31SU was involved in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE)
- Coordinates
- 26.1472, -80.0919
- Aircraft
- Sukhoi SU-31
- Registration
- N31SU
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fort Lauderdale → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL04LA104
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to recover from an intentional spin during an attempted aerobatic maneuver.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the show announcer, the pilot performed the corkscrew maneuver that contained 56 consecutive snap rolls. He then climbed to an approximate altitude of 5000 feet and informed the announcer that he was going to conduct a flat spin maneuver. According to the announcer the number rotations the pilot conducted seemed to exceed the normal amount the pilot had conducted in the past. The spin maneuver continued until the airplane collided with the water. No evidence of mechanical, flight controls or control surfaces anomalies were discovered during the post-accident examination of the airplane wreckage.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Sukhoi SU-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Aug 2007 | Sukhoi SU-31 | Markham, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Feb 1996 | Sukhoi SU-31 | Immokalee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Mar 2022 | Sukhoi SU-31 | Ploiesti, Romania | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct 2004 | Robinson R-22 | Pompano Beach, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 2004 | Robinson R22 | Keystone, Florida, United States | Collective Helicopter Corp | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 2004 | Beechcraft BE90 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | Execstar Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2004 | Piper PA-28-181 | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Pan Am International Flight Academy Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 1 Oct 2004 | Rotorway 162F | New Smyrna Beac, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 May 2004 | Beechcraft H35 | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Tim Sullivan | Minor injuries | - |