Rotec Engineering, Inc. RALLEY III accident near Woodson, Arkansas, September 13, 1990
On September 13, 1990 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Rotec Engineering, Inc. RALLEY III, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N920RE, was destroyed in an accident near Woodson, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNDETERMINED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 1990 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Woodson, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rotec Engineering, Inc. RALLEY III, amateur-built
- Registration
- N920RE · registry record · serial 25258
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, HE NOTICED THAT THE ELEVATOR 'CONTINUED TO REQUIRE BACK PRESSURE TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT.' HE ELECTED TO MAKE A GENTLE TURN AND RETURN FOR LANDING WHEN HE 'FELT THE SNAP ON THE ELEVATOR CONTROL BREAKING.' CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. ON-SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES AND ALL DAMAGE WAS RELATED TO IMPACT FORCES. THE NON-RATED PILOT HAD NEVER RECEIVED FORMAL FLIGHT TRAINING.
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
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 395 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW90DPG15.