- Date
- February 13, 1992, 15:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Conway, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N92RLRalph Legate Stits Skycoup
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920213002899A
- Case key
- 18442
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 proper clearance with the guy wire. A factor was the fuel starvation caused by failure of the carburetor float.
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 experienced a complete loss of engine power while maneuvering below 500 feet above ground level. During the emergency descent for a forced landing to an open field, the airplane struck a guy wire that was suspended between two power line towers. The power loss was caused by a stuck open float in the carburetor which resulted in a flooded carburetor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92RL
- Reported as
- Ralph Legate Stits Skycoup (STITS SKYC)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 33020RL
- Airframe hours
- 223
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290G, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Legate, Ralph N.
- Registered owner
- Legate, Ralph N.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 5, 1991 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- MO3
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 210 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LIT, 24 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.