- Date
- October 31, 1989, 18:25 local (23:25 UTC)
- Place
- Eaton, OH
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N828BMMccomb RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891031044659A
- Case key
- 14457
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
Poor in-flight planning/decision by the pilot which resulted in spatial disorientation and an inadvertent spiral. Factors related to the accident were: the dark night and instrument lights not installed.
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
One witness observed 'a solid green light...drop out of the sky.' The airplane impacted the ground in a steep angle. There were no instrument lights installed. The light conditions were described as dark.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N828BM
- Reported as
- Mccomb RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 418
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mccomb, Bernard Alford
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- LNP · Wise, VA
- Destination
- RID · Richmond, IN
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 70 in this make and model · 160 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAY, 25 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.