- Date
- April 15, 1988, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Defuniak Sprngs, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N51HHHenderson RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880415009399A
- Case key
- 32164
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 at an alt of aprx 100 ft while on a personal flt, the eng quit. The plt banked the acft to the left to land on a rd but lost control during the maneuver. The acft descended uncontrolled and collided with terrain. Examination of the magneto switch revealed that a steel spring on the inside shorted the both position. The lt or rt positions were operable. The plt stated that he should have landed straight ahead.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51HH
- Reported as
- Henderson RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- H 001 86
- Airframe hours
- 141
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B3B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henderson, Harley L
- Registered owner
- Harley L Henderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 17, 1988 · 18 hours before
- Airport
- 54J · De Funiak Springs, runway 27, 3,200 × 60 ft
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,385 total · 107 in this make and model · 1,233 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CEW, 11 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.