Amateur-built EMERAUDE accident near Eustis, Florida, March 14, 1991
On March 14, 1991 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built EMERAUDE, registered N31HE, was destroyed in an accident near Eustis, Florida (Mid-Florida Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
EXCESSIVE ELEVATOR CONTROL INPUT BY THE PIC WHILE HIS ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED, INATTENTIVENESS TO THE AIRSPEED (VS), AND INADVERTENT STALL WHILE ON APPROACH TO LAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1991 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eustis, Florida · Mid-Florida Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EMERAUDE
- Registration
- N31HE · no longer on the register · serial 1225
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIC WAS SEATED IN THE RT SEAT & STATED THAT THE PVT RATED PAX WAS FLYING THE ACFT FROM THE LT SEAT. THE PAX STATED THAT THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND FLT IN THE ACFT & HE HAD HIS HANDS ON THE CONTROL COLUMN TO FEEL THE INPUT BY THE PIC DURING THE APCH & LANDING. THE PIC FURTHER STATED THAT WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, HE DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION TO THE T-HANGARS ON THE AIRSTRIP. WHEN HE LOOKED BACK TO THE RWY, THE ACFT ATTITUDE WAS 20-25 DEGS NOSE HIGH. THE ACFT THEN STALLED, DESCENDED LT WING LOW, CARTWHEELED, & CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY POSTCRASH FIRE.
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: 1,200 hours in all; 389 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 391 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 1990; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SFB Sanford FL at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from SFB, 23 miles away
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.