Narrative:
The airplane operated on a private flight out of Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport, California, USA. It was observed making several low passes, with its smoke generators operating, over seaplanes anchored in a lake. The last pass was reportedly at an altitude less than 50 ft, and then the airplane was observed entering an abnormally steep climb, followed by a near vertical nose-down attitude to impact. A video tape shows that both propellers were turning. The pilot had received his multi-engine rating in a Beechcraft 76 on March 6, 1990, and his type rating in the airplane March 28, 1990.
CAUSE: The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed during a pull-up from a low pass. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the pilot's poor judgement in buzzing the seaplanes which resulted in insufficient altitude to recover from the stall, and the pilot's inexperience in the airplane.
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Saturday 29 September 1990 |
| Time: | 12:29 |
| Type: |  Lockheed PV-2D Harpoon |
| Operator: | Douglas M. Lacey |
| Registration: | N7250C |
| MSN: | 15-1605 |
| First flight: | |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-31 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Lakeport, CA ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Maneuvering (MNV) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport, CA (STS/KSTS), United States of America |
| Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport, CA (STS/KSTS), United States of America |
The airplane operated on a private flight out of Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport, California, USA. It was observed making several low passes, with its smoke generators operating, over seaplanes anchored in a lake. The last pass was reportedly at an altitude less than 50 ft, and then the airplane was observed entering an abnormally steep climb, followed by a near vertical nose-down attitude to impact. A video tape shows that both propellers were turning. The pilot had received his multi-engine rating in a Beechcraft 76 on March 6, 1990, and his type rating in the airplane March 28, 1990.
Probable Cause:
CAUSE: The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed during a pull-up from a low pass. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the pilot's poor judgement in buzzing the seaplanes which resulted in insufficient altitude to recover from the stall, and the pilot's inexperience in the airplane.
Accident investigation:
 |
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Classification:
Loss of control
Sources:
» NTSBPhotos
Map
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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