Wicks Air Center Llc HORNET accident near Bonham, TX
On November 7, 2009, a Wicks Air Center Llc HORNET (airplane) was involved in an accident near Bonham, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 7, 2009
- Place
- Bonham, TX
- Aircraft
- Wicks Air Center Llc HORNET · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.620°N, 96.172°W
- NTSB ID
- 20091107X65649
Official records · CEN10LA041
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 7, 2009, at 0800 central standard time, a Wicks Air Center LLC, Hornet, N651WA, registered to and operated by the private pilot, collided with the ground near Bonham, Texas. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight departed Jones Field Airport (F00), Brenham, Texas, approximately 0755. Several witnesses reported that the airplane appeared to be flying less than 100 feet above ground level (AGL), when the airplane flew into fog or low hanging clouds. Less than a mile northeast of the F00 airport, the airplane made a left turn toward the airport when witnesses saw it “suddenly spiral nose down” into the ground. There was an immediate post-impact fire followed by an explosion. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 57, held a private pilot certificate for airplane, single-engine land; his third-class medical certificate was issued August 12, 2009, with no limitations. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records revealed that the pilot was not instrument rated. The pilot's logbook was not recovered for examination. Based on information from aircraft logbooks and FAA medical records, his total flight experience was estimated at 840 hours, with an estimated 70 hours of experience in the accident airplane. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The single-engine, two-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear, amateur built, experimental light sport airplane, serial nu
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of control shortly after takeoff due to spatial disorientation in fog and/or low-level clouds.
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Browse: Texas
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
