- Date
- August 23, 1990, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4203Stits SA6B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900823035309A
- Case key
- 26548
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 failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control.
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 of the unregistered, non-certificated homebuilt aircraft collided with the ground in a nose low, inverted attitude while in the traffic pattern. Ground witnesses observed the aircraft to be low and slow, and stall while turning from base to final approach. Examination of the engine, structure, and flight controls found no evidence of a pre-impact mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4203
- Reported as
- Stits SA6B
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- P2159
- Airframe hours
- 74
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Almada, Ernest
- Registered owner
- Lowe Ralph J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- 40E · Lacholla Airpark, runway 19, 4,500 × 36 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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 69 total · 10 in this make and model · 43 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °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.