- Date
- May 20, 1988, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Valparaiso, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N312HDDavis Heath Model V
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880520057059A
- Case key
- 13901
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt rprtd that when he applied power to takeoff, the acft 'pulled to the right.' He said the acft became airborne, but touched down again & contd to go to the right. Also, he said he tried to correct the situation with left rudder, but the rudder seemed to be locked & would not move. He then noticed the acft was heading toward an ILS tower, so he 'banked a little more to the right and missed the tower.' Moments later, the acft hit the ground. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N312HD
- Reported as
- Davis Heath Model V (HEATH MODE)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2HD1931
- Airframe hours
- 127
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1834 CC, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Davis, Earl L.
- Registered owner
- Earl L Davis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 6, 1988 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- VPZ
- Airport
- VPZ · Porter County, runway 27, 6,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 210 total · 45 in this make and model · 192 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBN, 36 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.