- Date
- May 9, 1991, 19:30 local (May 10, 1991, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Jonesboro, AR
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N316FVVuncannon Rotoway Exec 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910509014929A
- Case key
- 23332
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 inadequate lookout and failure to maintain sufficient clearance from the wires for safe operation.
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
In his initial reports the pilot stated that he was in cruise flight when he saw wires in front of the aircraft and climbed to avoid them. In those reports, he stated that his skids caught on the top wire and the aircraft flipped inverted and impacted the ground. The initial reports did not contain any information regarding mechanical failure or malfunction. However, on his pilot/operator accident report, the pilot stated that the aircraft had developed a vibration in the rotor system and that he was attempting to execute a precautionary landing when he struck the wires. The wires were struck, control was lost, and the aircraft impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N316FV
- Reported as
- Vuncannon Rotoway Exec 152 (ROTOWAY EX)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 8819
- Airframe hours
- 300
- Engine
- Rotorway RW152, 152 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Floyd D. Vuncannon
- Registered owner
- Floyd D. Vuncannon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Truman, AR
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 682 total · 300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 40° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.