Amateur-built AVENTURA II accident near Boca Raton, Florida, September 6, 2009
On September 6, 2009 at about 9:18 pm local time, a amateur-built AVENTURA II, registered N6301M, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) near Boca Raton, Florida (Boca Raton Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper assembly of both carburetors, resulting in an excessively rich fuel to air ratio and subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2009 · about 9:18 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida · Boca Raton Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVENTURA II
- Registration
- N6301M · no longer on the register · serial AP2A0037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had not flown the airplane for the 2 ½ months prior to the accident. The pilot departed to practice full-stop landings, and as he turned onto the crosswind leg a witness reported hearing the engine sputtering. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed an improper assembly of both carburetors which could have caused an excessively rich fuel to air ratio. While maneuvering, the airplane stalled and impacted a road. No airframe preimpact failure or malfunction was noted, and no determination could be made as to who improperly assembled the carburetors.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern crosswind)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Malfunction other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 155 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 108 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 25, 2008; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Boca Raton FL at 9:11 pm
- Destination: Boca Raton FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 9:20 pm from BCT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
21 documents, released by the NTSB on April 23, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6301M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6301M: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engine: Rotax 582 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Boca Raton Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,704 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6301M 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA09LA500.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.