- Date
- October 15, 1989, 16:02 local (21:02 UTC)
- Place
- Bessemer, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N211RBSteen Skybolt
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891015040389A
- Case key
- 8084
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
The improper use of the flight controls by the pilot in command during an aerobatic maneuver. While attempting a snap roll, the pilot failed to introduce sufficient elevator input to complete the maneuver.
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 pilot was performing in an airshow. He stated to the FAA inspector that a snap roll was attempted. However, he did not apply sufficient elevator pitch up and the airplane stalled, then scooped out. At that point he was too low to recover and descended to impact with the ground. The airplane crashed into dense woods about 1/4 mile from the runway edge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N211RB
- Reported as
- Steen Skybolt
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 06019
- Airframe hours
- 270
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- James P. Owens
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 19, 1989 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- 2A3 · Bessemer, AL
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,098 total · 200 in this make and model · 810 as pilot in command · 97 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM, 10 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.