- Date
- March 23, 1991, 11:01 local (18:01 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N289LMHelio H391B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910323007469A
- Case key
- 27146
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 directional control and improper use of the flight controls. Contributing to this accident was the cross wind and soft terrain, and the pilot's lack of experience in the airplane.
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 certificated commercial pilot/flight instructor was departing on a proposed cross country flight. The surface winds were a direct crosswind from the left. When the tail lifted on the conventional gear airplane the airplane veered to the left. The pilot failed to maintain directional control and the airplane ground looped when it exited the runway and struck the soft mud adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported that the left brake was being applied by a mechanical failure. Examination of the brake system disclosed no evidence of any preexisting malfunctions or failures. The pilot had accrued only 19 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N289LM
- Reported as
- Helio H391B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 036
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-435-C2B2, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dan Stover
- Registered owner
- Dan Stover
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- PHX · Phoenix, AZ
- Airport
- PRC · Ernest Love Field, runway 21, 7,616 × 150 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
- 31
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 890 total · 19 in this make and model · 831 as pilot in command · 174 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 65 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- PRC, 1 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.