- Date
- October 31, 1991, 14:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- West Memphis, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N601ASBalkema/Boven Kestrel Hawk
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911031053579A
- Case key
- 18403
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 allowed the aircraft to enter an inadvertent stall during flare at excessive altitude while executing the forced landing. Factors were the pilot in command and unauthorized person performed carburetor maintenance adjustments prior to flight, and the use of an improper grade fuel.
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
During a daytime extended downwind approach at 300 feet AGL, the pilot allowed the airspeed to drop below 50 mph. The engine RPM decreased below 1500 RPM and subsequently the engine lost all power. The pilot made a descending right turn for the forced landing into a field. At approximately 40 feet AGL, the pilot flared the airplane, but lost control and impacted the terrain in a vertical descent. No mechanical malfunction to flight controls or structural components were found during the investigation. According to the manufacturer's limitations, improper fuel was in the airplane. The manufacturer's flight manual did not address normal or emergency procedures for the airplane when float equipped. The operator who was involved in the maintenance of the airplane, reported a history of fuel vaporization in the fuel lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N601AS
- Reported as
- Balkema/Boven Kestrel Hawk (KESTREL HA)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0012
- Engine
- Norton NR642-GF-90E, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Anupinder Singh Guron
- Registered owner
- West Memphis Jet Center
- Airport
- AWM · West Memphis, runway 17, 5,003 × 100 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,506 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.