SEA86FA174

NTSB accident investigation · Weiss-Haynes Stits SA6B · Big Creek, ID · July 20, 1986

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
July 20, 1986, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
Place
Big Creek, ID
Injuries
1 fatal, 1 serious
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N3HWWeiss-Haynes Stits SA6B
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19860720034369A
Case key
40290

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.

Loss of control - in flightTakeoff - initial climb
Weather condition - high density altitudeFactor
Preflight planning/preparation - not understoodPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - tailwindFactor
Stall/mush - inadvertentPilot in commandCause
Aircraft weight and balance - exceededPilot in commandCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
FireOther

Analysis

N3HW, a stits SA6B, was being flown from an airstrip with a density altitude of about 7,800 feet. The plt lost control of the acft during initial climb and the acft descended into the trees, struck the ground, and caught fire. The plt stated that during climbout it felt like the controls weren't responding to his inputs and that they were sluggish even though, during the runup, the controls had responded normally. The plt had about 350 hours of total flight time. The plt had flown into this airport before but never in the stits SA6B. The acft was over the manufacturers maximum allowable gross weight with an aft center of gravity (c.g.). The kit manufacturer states that an aft c.g. will produce sluggish control responses. Trees were present at the end of the airstrip and a slight tailwind was present.

Aircraft

Registration
N3HW
Reported as
Weiss-Haynes Stits SA6B
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
777
Airframe hours
110
Engine
Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Weiss, William O.
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Departed
U60 · Big Creek, ID
Airport
U60 · Big Creek Airport, runway 3, 3,550 × 110 ft, grass/turf

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
55
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2, Expired
Seat
Front
Flight hours
350 total · 80 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
180° at 4 knots
Visibility
50 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.