- Date
- May 14, 1989, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Big Rapids, MI
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N163MHAvions Max Holste MH 1521
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890514011509A
- Case key
- 14350
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
Inadequate compensation for wind conditions by the pilot and his failure to maintain directional control. The the variable/gusty/crosswind condition was considered to be 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 pilot reported that during the landing roll-out, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind that blew the tail to the left. He tried to correct the situation by applying left brake, but the aircraft ground looped and the left main gear & left wing were damaged. The pilot reported the wind direction was 'unsteady.' About 90 miles southwest at muskegon, Michigan, the 1250 EDT wind was from 270 deg at 8 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N163MH
- Reported as
- Avions Max Holste MH 1521
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 163MH
- Airframe hours
- 3,089
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN1, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jack Helder, doing business as West Drenthe, Inc.
- Registered owner
- West Drenthe, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 4, 1988 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- 6MI3 · Zeeland, MI
- Airport
- 77D · Roben-Hood, runway 32, 3,500 × 75 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 497 total · 39 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKG, 90 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.