- Date
- June 28, 1992, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N512Danny W. Sadek S-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920628021959A
- Case key
- 27662
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 an adequate airspeed and the inadvertent entry into a stall/mush condition. Factors in the accident were the high density altitude condition and the pilots limited total experience.
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
Airport employees observed the aircraft takeoff on runway 25 and achieve an altitude of about 50 feet above the ground. The witnesses reported that the aircraft seemed to be 'struggling' as it flew down the runway at that altitude. About one half mile beyond the end of the runway the aircraft was observed to begin a left turn, stall, then fall off on the left wing and hit the ground nose first. Based on the temperature and pressure altitude reported by the airport workers, the density altitude for the 6,820 foot high airport was calculated to be in excess of 8,800 feet. The pilot reported that he had a total time of 130 hours, with 49 accumulated in the experimental home built aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N512
- Reported as
- Danny W. Sadek S-12
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0491072
- Airframe hours
- 49
- Engine
- Rotax 503 UL, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Danny W. Sadek
- Registered owner
- Danny W. Sadek
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 1992 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- L35
- Destination
- L39 · Ramona, 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 49 in this make and model · 130 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.