- Date
- June 14, 1990, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vriesland, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N359VEVanek 300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900614020049A
- Case key
- 14468
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 misjudgment of the altitude. A factor related to the accident was the low ceiling.
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 practicing for an upcoming airshow when the accident occurred. According to the pilot's wife, he was practicing at altitudes which were lower than normal due to the low cloud layer. He was seen to enter and exit the clouds several times during the flight. The pilot's wife stated the pilot was practicing a half cuban 8 with rolls during the descent. At the end of the maneuver she saw the wings roll level and the airplane pitched up then started another roll when the wing tip contacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N359VE
- Reported as
- Vanek 300
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-J4A5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steve Vaneck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,095 total · 130 in this make and model · 995 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKG, 10 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.