- Date
- October 13, 1992, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Smyrna Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N87RHHarkness, Richard W. Adventure
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921013041679A
- Case key
- 33189
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 failure of the pilot in command to maintain airspeed above stall speed following engine failure resulting in the aircraft stalling and descending uncontrolled to the ground. Contributing to the accident was the pilot in command's improper leaning of the engine which caused engine overheating and engine seizure.
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 witness observed the aircraft circle the airport at approximately 2,500 feet and perform a descending turn to overfly the runway from south to north. The aircraft leveled off at 300 feet over the runway at an approximate speed of 160 mph. As the aircraft passed the north end of the runway the pilot began a moderate pitch up and the engine stopped completely. The pilot continued the pitch up and made a hard left turn. The aircraft stalled, however, the pilot regained control. The aircraft stalled several more times prior to impacting the ground in a near vertical attitude. Postcrash examination of the engine revealed the number three cylinder had seized due to overheating which was caused by excessive leaning. No mechanical failure which would have caused excessive leaning was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87RH
- Reported as
- Harkness, Richard W. Adventure
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Airframe hours
- 74
- Engine
- AMW 225-3F1AG, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Deshler, Marshall L.
- Registered owner
- Deshler, Marshall L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 1992 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- TIX · Titusville, FL
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total · 12 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 14 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.