Loss of control Accident Lockheed PV-2D Harpoon N7250C,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 325943
 

Date:Saturday 29 September 1990
Time:12:29
Type:Silhouette image of generic L37 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Lockheed PV-2D Harpoon
Owner/operator:Douglas M. Lacey
Registration: N7250C
MSN: 15-1605
Year of manufacture:1960
Engine model:Pratt & Whitney R-2800-31
Fatalities:Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off
Category:Accident
Location:Lakeport, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport, CA (STS/KSTS)
Destination airport:Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport, CA (STS/KSTS)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
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.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX90FA336
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years and 7 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Revision history:

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