- Date
- June 30, 1988, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Perris, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9991FHelio HST-550A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880630027299A
- Case key
- 25841
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
Failure of the electrical stabilizer trim control that resulted in an uncommanded full nose down elevator trim command.
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
After dropping skydivers the pilot entered a descent to return to the airport for another load of jumpers. He was receiving radar advisories during the drop from a TRACON controller. As the aircraft descended below 4,000 feet MSL the controller terminated the radar advisory service. Immediately after the controller discontinued the service he asked the pilot to check for a stuck microphone switch. The aircraft continued its descent and collided with a camping trailer and building under construction in an extreme nose low attitude. The elevator trim was found in the full nose down position. No other malfunctions were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9991F
- Reported as
- Helio HST-550A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 004
- Airframe hours
- 2,100
- Engine
- P&W PT-6A-27, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Operator
- Perris Valley Skydiving Inc.
- Registered owner
- Perry, James D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 30, 1988 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- L65 · Perris, CA
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
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 4,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIV, 7 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.