Amateur-built STEEN SKYBOLT accident near Greenville, Texas, April 18, 1983
On April 18, 1983 at about 10:01 pm local time, a amateur-built STEEN SKYBOLT, registered N5NL, was destroyed in an accident near Greenville, Texas (Majors airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1983 · about 10:01 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Texas · Majors · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STEEN SKYBOLT STEEN SKYB
- Registration
- N5NL · no longer on the register · serial NLA1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER THE PLT ATTEMPTED AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER AT LOW ALT. WITNESSES SAID THEY OBSERVED THE ACFT MAKE A LOW PASS OVER A HOUSE JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THEN THE ACFT STARTED AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER FROM 200 FT AGL.A CORPORATE PLT WITNESS SAID THE ACFT NOSE WENT UP TO ABOUT A 45 DEGREE CLIMB AND THE ACFT SNAP ROLLED. INSTEAD OF STOPPING THE ROLL RIGHT SIDE UP THE ROLL CONTINUED TO THE INVERTED POSITION AND THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN. THE ACFT APPEAREDTO BE RECOVERING WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TREES IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE RECOVERY WAS ATTEMPTED THE SAME AS COMING OUT OF A LOOP OR SPLIT'S' MANEUVER. THE TREES THAT WERE HIT WERE ABOUT 20 FT TALL AND THE ACFT WAS IN ABOUT A 20 DEGREE NOSEDOWN ATTITUDE AT IMPACT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from DAL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.