- Date
- October 27, 1991, 09:09 local (16:09 UTC)
- Place
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N121STGlassair III
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911027047989A
- Case key
- 27487
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 certified flight instructors decision to fly into known forecast weather conditions specifically prohibited by the airplane's owner's manual and decision to allow an unqualified pilot with limited instrument flight experience to occupy the left seat behind the flight instruments which subsequently resulted in a inflight loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the unqualified pilot.
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
A glasair iii collided with mountainous terrain after an inflight encounter with known forecast adverse wx conditions. The airplane was being operated under IFR. The cfi/pic stated to the controller that she was encountering airplane control problems. The controller heard a comment emanating from the airpalne on the TRACON frequency stating 'losing control of the aircraft' before radar and radio contact was lost. Rain showers and lightning were forecasted by the wx service before the accident. A witness at the accident site reported, high winds, rain showers and lightning at time of accident. The airplane was not certified for IFR flight. The airplane's owner's manual prohibited flight in conditions that would expose the airplane to the possibility of a lightning strike. The noninstrument rated second pilot was seated in the left seat in front of the flight instruments. The second pilot had never flown actual instruments and had only flown 4 hours of simulated instrument flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121ST
- Reported as
- Glassair III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3157
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-P1A5, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hacker, Steven W.
- Registered owner
- Hacker, Steven W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- ABQ · Alburquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
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
- 44
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 1,250 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FFZ, 10 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.