Laseure SONERAI II N232PE

Summary

On 22 April 2009 at about 19:00 local time, a Laseure SONERAI II registered N232PE, operated by Michael Shute, was involved in an accident near Grantsburg, Wisconsin, 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

22 April 2009 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Grantsburg, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Circle T Airport (WS77)

Coordinates

45.6839, -92.6869

Aircraft

Laseure SONERAI II

Registration

N232PE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Michael Shute

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grantsburg → Grantsburg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09LA263

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the degraded engine performance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident flight was the pilot’s first flight in the amateur-built, experimental airplane he had purchased about 7 months prior to the accident. A witness reported that the pilot was taxiing up and down the runway while revving the engine. The witness stated that the engine was missing on at least one cylinder during takeoff. He stated that the airplane climbed and made a left turn directly over his house, clearing it by about 80 feet. While in the turn, the wings dipped to the right, and then the wings dipped to the left “real hard.” The airplane rolled inverted and went down nose first. A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the wreckage at the accident site. The inspection of the airplane revealed flight control continuity.The engine was a Continental O-200 series engine, but the engine data plate was missing so the exact model and serial number could not be identified. The mechanical and electrical engine controls were present. The magneto P-lead wires were still attached to the ignition switch and magnetos. There was oil in the engine and the crankshaft could rotate but not “very far.” The pilot had a history of depression, anxiety, and sleep apnea, and had been prescribed multiple medications for the conditions. The level of a prescription antidepressant found on post-accident toxicology was more than 10 times higher than expected given the pilot's prescription for the medication. He had broken his left ankle, and had surgical screws placed for the non-healing fracture a week prior to the accident. He had recently taken narcotic and over-the-counter pain medications. The pilot had not reported any of his chronic health problems to the FAA, and it is unlikely that the FAA would have approved medical certification for him had complete information been provided.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.