Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chatsworth, California 91311
Tuesady, June 30, 1992 9:15 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT HAD PURCHASED THE EXPERIMENTAL 'STARDUSTER TOO' SA 300 AIRPLANE ABOUT EIGHT DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 15 HOURS IN THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT AND A PILOT RATED PASSENGER DEPARTED AT 0831 HOURS UNDER A BROKEN TO OVERCAST CLOUD CONDITION TO AN AIRPORT ABOUT 30 MILES TO THE WEST FOR BREAKFAST. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE SPIRALING OR SPINNING OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND IMPACT MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE OVERCAST WAS ABOUT 100 TO 200 ABOVE THE TERRAIN AT THE 1900 FOOT MSL ACCIDENT SITE. PILOT REPORTS INDICATED THAT THE CLOUD TOPS WERE AROUND 3500 FEET MSL. THE WITNESSES ALSO STATED THAT THEY HEARD THE AIRPLANE FLYING BACK AND FORTH IN OR ABOVE THE CLOUDS JUST PRIOR TO SEEING IT SPIRALING OR SPINNING OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS LOCATED IN THE FULL TAB DOWN POSITION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOTS INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS AND AN INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A STALL SPIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF AIRCRAFT AND A LOW CLOUD COVER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/30/1992
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 915
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City CHATSWORTH
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91311
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 846 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 105
Weather Observation Facility ID VNY
Elevation of weather observation facility 799
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 1
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2920
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 30 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N27BP
NTSB Number LAX92FA271
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name HOLMES-SALLEY/STARDUSTER TOO
Aircraft Model SA300
Aircraft Series Identifier SA300
Aircraft Serial Number 1648
Certified Max Gross Weight 2200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 21 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 18
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SAMMY ROTH, STACY MAMER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7222 VALJEAN AVE.
Aircraft Owner City VAN NUYS
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 91406
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SAMMY ROTH, STACY MAMER
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 7222 VALJEAN AVE.
Operator City VAN NUYS
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 91406
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code VNY
Departure City VAN NUYS
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 831
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SZP
Destination City SANTA PAULA
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --