# NTSB ATL86FEI10: Senior Aero Sport D-260, N35250, Valley City, OH, August 15, 1986

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Final report
- Date: August 15, 1986, 18:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place: Valley City, OH
- Coordinates: 41.229797, -81.919082 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2298&lon=-81.9191&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 2 fatal
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 6979
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL86FEI10
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/6979/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL86FEI10

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering
  - maneuver - initiated
  - altitude - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - stall/spin - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled
  - terrain condition - ground

## Analysis

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ACFT WAS IN LVL FLT AT LOW ALT WHEN IT ENTERED A STEEP CLIMBING MANEUVER. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT ENTERED A STEEP DSCNT & CRASHED IN APRX A 75 DEG NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT WAS IN A RIGHT BANK & WAS SPINNING OR SPIRALING TO THE RIGHT WHEN IT CRASHED. THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO MOVEMENT AFTER IMPACT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE PASSENGER'S BLOOD TESTED POSITIVE FOR ALCOHOL, BUT NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO SHOW THAT HE WAS FLYING THE ACFT.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N35250 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: SENIOR AERO SPORT D-260
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 10
- Airframe hours: 439
- Engines: CONTINENTAL O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: John E. Mccourt
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 1986, 42 hours before

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 58; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: rear; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,482 total, 157 in this make and model, 838 as pilot in command, 37 in the last 90 days, 14 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 19,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: CLE, 12 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19860815040239A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860815040239A), Aug 15, 1986: Amtrda D260, Valley City, OH, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Attempted aerobatic maneuver at a low altitude. Failed to recover before impacting the ground.

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.

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