# Accident 19890512011319A: Amtrsm DSA1, Sterling, CT, May 12, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 12, 1989, 12:10 local time
- Place: Sterling, CT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.7076° N, 71.8287° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sterling, CT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7076&lon=-71.8287&mi=10
- Aircraft: N21H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N21H-1991-08-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Smith Miniplane DSA-1 (registry code 835010P, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-miniplane-dsa-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTRSM DSA1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 600 total, 3 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC89DNE02](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC89DNE02) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890512011319A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOW ALTITUDE ACROBATICS. HAMMERHEAD STALL. ENTERED INVERTED SPIRAL, STOPPED ROTATION DIVED VERTICALLY INTO GROUND.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC89DNE02](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC89DNE02), May 12, 1989: Smith Mini DSA-1 (N21H), Sterling, CT, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT WHILE PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS, AND THE AIRCRAFT'S RESULTANT UNCONTROLLED DESCENT INTO THE GROUND.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.