Augustine David L SONEX N10DA

Summary

On 14 November 2009 at about 18:15 local time, a Augustine David L SONEX registered N10DA was involved in an accident near Burnet, Texas, 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.

Date

14 November 2009 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Burnet, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Burnet Municipal Airport (KBMQ)

Coordinates

30.7592, -98.2208

Aircraft

Augustine David L SONEX

Registration

N10DA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kingsland → Spicewood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10LA050

1 person died.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.