- Date
- December 28, 1994, 14:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N32VFHoover Bushby MM1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941228043029A
- Case key
- 9817
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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of recent total experience.
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, after performing an operational check on some recently installed avionic equipment, he decided to land. While on the landing roll, the pilot stated, the airplane turned 15 degrees to the right. All attempts to maintain directional control failed. The airplane exited the runway and came to rest in an inverted position. In a statement made to the FAA, the pilot stated, 'I lost the [airplane] on the runway.' The pilot has a total of 51 hours in this accident make/model airplane, all of which were flown eight or nine years ago. His most recent experience consisted of two flights, seven months prior, totaling 15 minutes in no wind conditions. The reported winds at the time of the accident were 360 degrees at 8 knots.
Factual narrative
On December 28, 1994, at 1445 central standard time, an experimental Hoover Bushby MM1, N32VF, registered to Howard D. Williams of Bismarck, Missouri, was substantially damaged while landing on runway 26R at Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Chesterfield, Missouri. The commercial pilot reported minor injuries. The local 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without flight plan.
The pilot, in a detailed written statement, reported he took off to perform an operational check on new avionic equipment which had recently been installed in his airplane. While remaining in the airport's traffic pattern, he determined all avionics were functioning properly and he decided to land. While on the landing roll, the pilot stated that the airplane turned 15 degrees to the right. All attempts to maintain directional control failed. The airplane exited the runway and came to rest in an inverted position. No preimpact mechanical or control anomalies were reported by the pilot.
In a statement made to the FAA the pilot stated, "I lost the [airplane] on the runway." The pilot has a total of 8,500 hours of flight time in various tailwheel airplanes. He has a total of 51 hours in this accident make/model airplane, all of which were flown eight or nine years ago. His most recent experience consisted of two flights, seven months prior, totaling 15 minutes in no wind conditions. The reported winds at the time of the accident were 360 degrees at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32VF
- Reported as
- Hoover Bushby MM1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 907
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Howard D. Williams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 1994
- Departed
- SUS
- Destination
- SUS
- Airport
- SUS · Spirit Of St. Louis, runway 26, 3,800 × 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 17,300 total · 51 in this make and model · 17,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.