- Date
- September 2, 1991, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Yatesville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9FBBates, Frank L Skybolt
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910902037769A
- Case key
- 8466
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 pilot's failure to maintain a proper altitude during maneuvering flight.
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 flying with a passenger over his private airstrip. While at 800 feet AGL, he made a sharp, 180-degree turn to the left. While in the turn, the airplane rapidly lost altitude. He then reversed the turn sharply to the right and prepared to land. While in the sharp, right turn, the airplane collided with a lake that was located about 50 feet from the airstrip. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane. Inspection of the wreckage revealed no mechanical problems, and flight control continuity was confirmed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9FB
- Reported as
- Bates, Frank L Skybolt
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bates, Frank L
- Registered owner
- Bates, Frank L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 1991 · 110 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · None, runway 12, 2,500 × 50 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,147 total · 88 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.