- Date
- March 28, 1992, 17:45 local (Mar 29, 1992, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bennett, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N14BAVans RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920328007569A
- Case key
- 18141
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
Loss of control by the pilot in command. A factor was: aircraft weight and balance limits exceeded.
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
While conducting what witnesses described as aerobatic maneuvers, the aircraft entered uncontrolled flight and collided with the ground. Investigation revealed that the weight and balance limits were exceeded. The manufacturer reported that aft c.g. resulted in deteriorated stall spin recovery. Aft c.g. was exceeded by a minimum of .5 inches.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14BA
- Reported as
- Vans RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 789
- Airframe hours
- 428
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Amos, William J., Jr.
- Registered owner
- Amos, William J., Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 1991 · 124 hours before
- Departed
- 01V · Watkins, CO
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 747 total · 421 in this make and model · 691 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APA, 23 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.