Lee Stevens SORRELL SNS-2 GUPPY UNREG

Summary

On 5 May 2007 at about 15:17 local time, a Lee Stevens SORRELL SNS-2 GUPPY registered UNREG, operated by Arnold L. Yowell, was involved in an accident near Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 May 2007 at 15:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Shoeatring Aviation Airfield (OP2)

Coordinates

39.7953, -76.6506

Aircraft

Lee Stevens SORRELL SNS-2 GUPPY

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Arnold L. Yowell

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stewartstown → Brogue

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA07LA091

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-current pilot departed in the unregistered single seat airplane from runway 15, and a witness who was located at a hangar on the airfield reported that when the flight was past the departure end of the runway, the airplane turned onto a right crosswind leg. The airplane appeared to be flying slow, then "...nose down vertical into a spin, impacted vertically." Another witness who was driving on a nearby road reported seeing the airplane "...spiral down into the field." The airplane came to rest with the empennage elevated vertically and slightly twisted to the left. The fuselage was crushed to the instrument panel. Flight control continuity was confirmed for roll, and pitch; impact damage to the area of the rudder pedals precluded confirmation of control continuity for yaw. A total of 2.5 gallons of blue tinted 2 cycle fuel/oil mixture were drained from the 5.0 gallon fuel tank, which was free of contamination. One propeller blade was separated at the propeller hub and shattered, while the remaining blade remained secured inside the propeller hub. Examination of the engine revealed numerous discrepancies. A current weight and balance was not available with the installed engine and propeller, therefore, the exact weight and balance at the time of the accident was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.