- Date
- March 18, 1990, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wooster, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3938Volksplane WE-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900318004839A
- Case key
- 34869
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 power loss for undetermined reasons and the inadvertent stall. A factor was the pilot's maximum performance takeoff.
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
The pilot reported that a power loss occurred at about 200 feet AGL after takeoff, followed by a 'stall with insufficient altitude for recovery.' He further reported that the 'maximum takeoff climb was at least partially to blame for loss of control.' The engine was a modified volkswagon uncertified powerplant. FAA inspectors reported that the engine appeared to be developing power at impact. No cause for a loss of power was discovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3938
- Reported as
- Volksplane WE-1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- HT-1
- Airframe hours
- 300
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1500-S, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard L. Schorey
- Registered owner
- Thomas Henry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 1988
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,300 total · 15 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °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.