Arnet Pereyra Aero AVENTURA II accident near Rockledge, Florida, August 11, 1999
On August 11, 1999 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Arnet Pereyra Aero AVENTURA II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N303SQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockledge, Florida (Rockledge Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain directional control during his attempted takeoff due to his exceeding the airplane's gross weight limit for takeoff and the resultant inflight collision with a building.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1999 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rockledge, Florida · Rockledge Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Arnet Pereyra Aero AVENTURA II AVENTURA I, amateur-built
- Registration
- N303SQ · no longer on the register · serial AP2A0030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An eyewitness saw the airplane takeoff and attain an altitude of 20 to 25 feet. He characterized the airplane's performance as 'sluggish', in that the rate of climb and forward airspeed appeared slower than he's seen from these same type airplanes many times before. The left wingtip grazed the hangar he was watching from, and impacted the roof line of the next door two-story building. The flaps appeared full down when the airplane flew past his position. Subsequent examination by an FAA inspector revealed the flap actuator was in the full down position, and that no evidence of any mechanical malfunction or failure of the airframe or engine could be detected. Postcrash analysis of the takeoff weight revealed the airplane was 42 pounds over maximum gross takeoff limit, with zero fuel. Had the airplane's fuel tank been topped off, the over gross weight would have been 150 pounds.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 194 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Bombardier ROTAX 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X65 at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from MLB, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.