- Date
- March 18, 1989, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lenoir, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N41HBMorrisey 2150A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890318004009A
- Case key
- 8004
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot disregarded the apparent severity of the approaching thunderstorms and attempted a circuit of the airport under visual flight rules when it was not possible. The pilot's lack of recent flight experience was a contributing factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The evidence indicated that the pilot and/or others had just completed reassembly of his airplane after having it repainted at an automotive paint shop. After fueling the tanks he elected to try a flight around the local pvt airstrip in the vicinity of rapidly approaching thunderstorms. Just after lift off, he encountered heavy rain and aborted the first landing attempt. He then tried to make a low altitude teardrop approach to landing on the opposite runway. During the turn to final, the airplane was observed to roll inverted aand collide with the ground. The airplane and pilot had not flown for over three months.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41HB
- Reported as
- Morrisey 2150A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- SP-30
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2C, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert L. Mason
- Registered owner
- Robert L Mason
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Airport
- NC27 · Lower Creek Airport, runway 5, 3,200 × 200 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 455 total · 32 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.