St. Johns Industr. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

St. Johns, Arizona 85936
Friday, September 19, 1986 11:30 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT REPORTED THAT PERSONS OVER 5 FT 9 IN TALL EXPERIENCE LIMITED RIGHT AILERON CONTROL AUTHORITY DUE TO THE SMALL COCKPIT OF THE HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL ACFT, WHICH IS USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR AIR RACING. THE PLT SAID THE RIGHT KNEE OF TALL PERSONS LIMITS THE CONTROL STICK MOVEMENT TO 'ABOUT 2/5THS OF THE AVAILABLE TRAVEL.' THE ACFT HAS NO ELEC SYSTEM & MUST BE FLOWN X-COUNTRY WITH ANOTHER ACFT FOR COM & NAV CAPABILITY. THE ACFT WAS BEING ESCORTED BY A HARVARD MK VII ACFT. THE PLT SAID HE DEPARTED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE HARVARD & ENCOUNTERED 'THE WING VORTEX' FROM IT, WHICH ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT AT AN ALT OF 6 FT AGL. THE PILOT SAID THAT WITH THE LIMITED RIGHT AILERON AUTHORITY, HE COULD NOT ARREST THE ROLL RATE PRIOR TO REACHING THE INVERTED POSITION. THE PILOT SAID HE THEN LANDED THE AIRCRAFT 'STRAIGHT AHEAD AS GENTLY AS POSSIBLE.'

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/19/1986
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1130
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City ST. JOHNS
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 85936
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ST. JOHNS INDUSTR.
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SJN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 5733
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 4000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Overcast
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 60
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 8100
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1703
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 2 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32134
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N99QB
NTSB Number LAX86FUJ06
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name FORBES-WOLFRAM SPECIAL
Aircraft Model DSA-1M
Aircraft Series Identifier DSA-1M
Aircraft Serial Number F-1
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 1 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 390
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ALAN PRESTON RACING
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4574 CLARE CHENNAULT DR.
Aircraft Owner City DALLAS
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75248
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code SJN
Departure City ST. JOHN
Departure State AZ
Departure Country
Departure Time 1100
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DAL
Destination City DALLAS
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 20
Runway Length 3400
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --