Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Adelanto, California 92301
Saturday, November 7, 1992 15:30 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING A DRY LAKE BED ON A LOCAL FLIGHT. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT UPON REACHING BETWEEN 50 AND 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. INSTEAD OF LANDING STRAIGHT AHEAD IN THE OPEN AREA THE PILOT ELECTED TO EXECUTE A RIGHT TURN. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED DURING THE TURN AND PLUNGED NOSE DOWN INTO THE GROUND. THE ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY INTERNAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURES. THE AIRFRAME FUEL SYSTEM AND THE ENGINE ACCESSORIES WERE DESTROYED. THE AIRCRAFT'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT THE PILOT/OWNER/BUILDER HAD NOT PERFORMED ANY CONDITION INSPECTIONS AS REQUIRED BY CURRENT FEDERAL AIR REGULATIONS SINCE IT RECEIVED ITS SPECIAL EXPERIMENTAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ON OCT 22, 1986. THE PILOT'S RECORDS WERE NOT RECOVERED. ACCORDING TO THE FAA, THE PILOT RECEIVED HIS LAST SECOND CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ON DECEMBER 27, 1990. HE INDICATED ON THE MEDICAL APPLICATION FORM THAT HE HAD ACCRUED 430 HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOK REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FOR 5 HOURS AND 12 MINUTES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER EMERGENCY DECISION TO ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AREA. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE UNDETERMINED LOSS OF POWER, INADEQUATE ALTITUDE, AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE AIRSPEED.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/7/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1530
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City ADELANTO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92301
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 11
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 Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
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) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 758
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 7 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1635
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48169
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N84766
NTSB Number LAX93LA032
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 R.W. SHERMAN
Aircraft Model TURBULENT
Aircraft Series Identifier TURBULENT
Aircraft Serial Number RWS-2
Certified Max Gross Weight 623
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Oct 22 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 5
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MCROREY, LOELAN J.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7474 NELSON AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City FONTANA
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92335
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MCROREY, LOELAN J.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 7474 NELSON AVENUE
Operator City FONTANA
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92335
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1529
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff - initial climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --