- Date
- July 15, 1992, 08:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, AL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N383KRKory G. Cornum SH-3R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920715025669A
- Case key
- 8513
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 failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain adequate airspeed after initiating a maneuver from low altitude. A factor was the lack of sufficient altitude.
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 and a pilot-rated passenger were flying the home-built, experimental aircraft in the local area. The reported ceiling was 1,100 feet (broken). The aircraft was observed performing a climbing, high bank angle turn beneath the cloud deck prior to a left, descending spiral into the terrain. Several witnesses reported that there was no engine noise during the uncontrolled descent. The wreckage was located in a wooded area, about 200 yards from a highway. An examination of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft impacted the terrain in a steep, nose low attitude with little forward speed. There was evidence that the aircraft had adequate fuel for the flight. Non-volatile memory data from the engine management system indicated that the engine was at idle power at the time of ground impact. The throttle was found in the idle position, with the prop and mixture controls full forward. An examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of a pre-existing malfunction or failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N383KR
- Reported as
- Kory G. Cornum SH-3R
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3168
- Airframe hours
- 16
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1B5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Cornum, Kory G.
- Registered owner
- Cornum, Kory G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 27, 1992 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- AUO · Auburn, AL
- Destination
- AUO
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,950 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUO, 9 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.