- Date
- November 10, 1990, 11:36 local (18:36 UTC)
- Place
- Alamogordo, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N51DYYoung 2/3 Scale
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901110049589A
- Case key
- 17999
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
Partial loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, improper planning/decision by the pilot, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
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
On the first flight of an experimental homebuilt aircraft, the pilot took off with what numerous witnesses described as a rough running engine. The flight path after takeoff was a pattern for a return to landing flown at less than normal pattern altitude. During the turn to final, the aircraft was observed to stall and roll at approximately 100 feet above ground level followed by a steep impact. The aircraft was extensively damaged by impact and ground fire. No reason was found for the apparent lost of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51DY
- Reported as
- Young 2/3 Scale
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 448051
- Engine
- Geshwender FORD V8, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Young, Ira
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- ALM
- Airport
- ALM · White Sands, runway 21, 7,005 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- HMN, 6 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.