- Date
- November 2, 1985, 16:00 local (Nov 3, 1985, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sonoma, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N489RLewis-Pexton RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851102057689A
- Case key
- 24967
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft crashed into the ground from about 250 ft after a stall following a dive & level off. Two witnesses saw the acc and one believed the plt was looking for him or trying to get his attention because the plt knew the witness' truck and where he would be. Both witnesses said that the acft went 'straight in' to the ground. One estimated the starting height of the fatal dive at 250 ft, with the wings rocking up & down. The other said it appeared to be at about 300-400 ft AGL coming out of a turn when it then just went 'straight in'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N489R
- Reported as
- Lewis-Pexton RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 489
- Airframe hours
- 60
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Randall Charles Pexton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 7, 1985 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- 009 · Sonoma, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 115 total · 28 in this make and model · 28 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.