- Date
- November 16, 1986, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bay St. Louis, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9731NHickham Twinstar
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861116055699A
- Case key
- 31827
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Shortly after takeoff on the initial test flt, severe vibration was felt and the plt attempted to return the float equipped acft to the water for a forced ldg. Due to low alt, the plt had to land in trees. An exam of one of the blades of the 3 bladed composite prop revealed it had separated creating a vibration so severe that it shook both carburetors from the engine causing the eng failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9731N
- Reported as
- Hickham Twinstar
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 4
- Engine
- Rotax 532, 40 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- John H. Hickham
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 1 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GPT, 12 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.