- Date
- July 24, 1987, 06:08 local (12:08 UTC)
- Place
- Burley, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5531NDavis Starship Alpha
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870724045199A
- Case key
- 40663
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
A loss of power occurred shortly after takeoff at about 100 feet AGL. Due to obstacles in the pilot's flight path landing had to be made in a river where the aircraft was substantially damaged. The reason for the power loss could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5531N
- Reported as
- Davis Starship Alpha (STARSHIP A)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- D-007
- Airframe hours
- 152
- Engine
- Kawasaki TA-440, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gilbert E. Davis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 23, 1987 · 52 hours before
- Destination
- U02 · Blackfoot, ID
- Airport
- BYI · Burley, runway 2, 4,092 × 200 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 280 total · 150 in this make and model · 237 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BYI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5531N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.