NTSB Factual Report

On June 19, 1994, about 1430 central daylight time, a Stolte Deuce homebuilt airplane, N10RS, registered to Joseph H. Steverson, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personnel flight, crashed in the vicinity of Prentiss, Mississippi, while conducting acrobatic maneuvers. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from the Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Airport, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, located 35 miles southeast of the crash site about 30 minutes before the accident.

A family member and other witnesses observed the airplane conducting an acrobatic flight about a 1/2 mile from the pilot's house. The airplane was at about 3,000 feet agl, and had completed about three loops before the airplane was observed to pitch straight up, and enter a hammerhead stall, followed by a wing over and spin to the right. An increase in engine power was heard as the airplane disappeared from view behind a hill. The witnesses stated they thought the pilot had recovered from the maneuver and returned to the Prentiss Jefferson Davis County Airport. The airplane wreckage was located on June 20, 1994.

Review of airman records on file with the Aeromedical Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the pilot, Joseph H. Steverson, had recorded as logged on his application for a third class medical certificate, dated May 26, 1992, that he had 3,350 flight hours with 8 hours being recorded as logged in the previous 6 months. The pilot's son, Lonnie J. Steverson, stated he has been unable to locate his father's last pilot logbook. He said his father had not received any formal instruction in acrobatic flight, that he was self taught. The pilot had recorded on his application for the medical certificate, that he had high or low blood pressure, and that he was taking the prescription drug procardia. Review of prescriptions on file with Lee's Drug Store, New Hebron, Mississippi, revealed the pilot was issued the prescription drug corgard in August 1993, and it was last recorded as being refilled on June 2, 1994. The pilot's son verified his father was taking procardia and corgard for high blood pressure. Corgard (nadolol) was present in the samples submitted to the FAA laboratory for toxicological analysis. Dr. Charles A. DeJohn, Research Physician, FAA Aircraft Accident Research Section, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, stated in a letter to the NTSB, while it is possible that the concomitant use of corgard and procardia in a pilot could cause severe hypotension, reduce g-tolerance and result in g-induced loss of consciousness, there is no toxicological confirmation that Mr. Steverson was taking procardia at the time of the accident. However, corgard alone could have resulted in bradycardia, hypotension, rhythm and/or conduction disturbances, or even cardiac failure. Unfortunately, except for cardiac failure, none of these can be medically proven post-mortem, and there is no evidence of heart failure on the autopsy.

Review of aircraft records on file with the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed in the experimental operating limitations on file for N10RS, that the airplane is prohibited from performing acrobatic flight.

The on-scene investigation was conducted by the FAA. The airplane was located about 8 miles northwest of Prentiss, Mississippi, off of highway 42 west. According to the FAA, the airplane collided with the terrain in a near nose-down vertical attitude, and came to rest on a heading of about 140 degrees magnetic. The main center fuel tank, and the auxiliary fuel tank were ruptured. Fuel was present in the auxiliary fuel tank. The wooden propeller hub was attached to the propeller flange. Both wooden propeller blades were destroyed.

According to the FAA, examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no evidence to indicate any precrash mechanical failure or malfunction.

Post-mortem examination of the pilot, Joseph H. Steverson, was conducted by Dr. Steven T. Hayne, Designated Pathologist, Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office, Pearl, Mississippi, on June 20, 1994. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Post-mortem toxicology studies of specimens from the pilot were performed by the Forensic Toxicology Research Section, Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. These studies were negative for basic and acidic drugs. Nadolol, 0.096 ug/ml was detected in the blood and urine.

The Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) was not received. The airplane was released to Sheriff Hal Magee, Prentiss, Mississippi, on June 25, 1994, by the FAA.

NTSB Probable Cause

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE WHILE PERFORMING AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER AND RECOVERING FROM A SPIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES, LACK OF FORMAL TRAINING IN AEROBATIC FLIGHT, AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO PERFORM AEROBATICS.