Avions Max Holste MH 1521 BROUSSARD accident near El Cajon, California, October 11, 2003
On October 11, 2003 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Avions Max Holste MH 1521 BROUSSARD, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N239HL, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Cajon, California (Gillespie airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's premature liftoff and his failure to attain an adequate takeoff airspeed, which resulted in a stall. The pilot's failure to correctly set the pitch trim before takeoff was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2003 · about 6:45 pm local time · cases in 2003
- Place
- El Cajon, California · Gillespie · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Avions Max Holste MH 1521 BROUSSARD, amateur-built · all MH 1521 BROUSSARDs on the register
- Registration
- N239HL · no longer on the register · serial 239
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane stalled during the takeoff initial climb. After an expedited takeoff and 3 seconds into the takeoff roll, the pilot applied forward stick to raise the tail. After 5 seconds, the tail was still on the ground. He then moved his left hand to the stick so that he could use his right hand to apply nose down trim. However, before he could apply it and prior to attaining takeoff airspeed, the airplane ballooned about 8 feet into the air. As it recontacted the ground, the airplane bounced and the right wing stalled. The right wing impacted the ground, followed by the left main gear, and then the left wing tip. The propeller contacted the ground as the left main gear hit, and the engine stopped. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot reported that he took off prior to reaching takeoff airspeed and stalled the airplane. He felt that additional nose down trim could have prevented the accident.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,754 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 5,953 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSEE El Cajon CA
- Destination: MMSF San Felipe
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N239HL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N239HL: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Avions Max Holste MH 1521 10 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Avions Max Holste 10 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 985 1 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Gillespie Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,098 in the last ten years
- California 27,686 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N239HL 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX04CA010.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.