Pongracz John M NIEUPORT 1 accident near Brasstown, NC
On August 10, 2009, a Pongracz John M NIEUPORT 1 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Brasstown, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 10, 2009
- Place
- Brasstown, NC
- Aircraft
- Pongracz John M NIEUPORT 1 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.045°N, 83.950°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090810X13900
Official records · ERA09LA454
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Miscellaneous: NTSB Communication.: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 10, 2009, at 1030 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur built, Pongracz, Nieuport 11, impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from a private grass strip in Brasstown, North Carolina. The certificated commercial pilot was killed and the airplane incurred substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was operated by a private individual, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Witnesses stated to the responding Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) inspector that it was the pilot/owner’s initial flight with the airplane. They observed the airplane departing toward the south into rising terrain. The witnesses advised that the normal departure procedure for that grass strip was to depart toward the north, where the terrain descended. The airplane was observed to make a normal takeoff roll. The airplane became airborne and when it was about 300 feet above the ground, it pitched up and then went straight down. The airplane impacted the ground nose first, coming to rest on its back side in a pasture adjacent to the right side of the grass strip. A fire ensued immediately after impact. The airplane’s engine was heard to be at full power until ground impact. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single engine land and multi-engine land with instrument airplane, and held a flight instructor certificate, with a rating for single engine land. The pilot’s last medical certificate was issued
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during climb after takeoff, resulting in an inadvertent stall.
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Browse: North Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
