# Accident 19980620014489A: Amtr NIEUPORTII, Gardner, KS, June 20, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 20, 1998, 19:30 local time
- Place: Gardner, KS
- Airport: Gardner Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.8096° N, 94.9205° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8096&lon=-94.9205&mi=10
- Aircraft: N921DH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N921DH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hartzler Richard B NIEUPORT II (registry code 0564037, https://openairdocs.org/model/hartzler-richard-b-nieuport-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Volkswagen CONVERSION (registry code 63501, https://openairdocs.org/engine/volkswagen-conversion) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR NIEUPORTII
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 508 total, 12 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA211) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980620014489A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE PILOT WAS GOING TO FLY ONE MORE FLIGHT AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR SOME INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF HIS AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS A DARK STORM CELL APPROXIMATELY 3 STATUTE MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT MOVING TO THE EAST.  THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED THE NORMAL CLIMB SPEED OF 55 MPH SEEMED TO DIMINISH RAPIDLY AT 8 TO 10 FEET AGL.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS BACK STICK PRESSURE PRODUCED A STALL, FOLLOWED BY AN UNCONTROLLABLE SINK THAT RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY 17.  WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE WIND SOCK WAS LIMP AT THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL, BUT INDICATED STRONG GUSTING WINDS AS THE PILOT ROTATED.  POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THERE WAS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE AREA AT THE TIME THE ACCIDENT.  THERE WERE REPORTS OF HIGH, GUSTING, WINDS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED IN A INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR THAT HE HAD MADE A POOR DECISION BY TAKING OFF WITH THE APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM IN THE AREA.            (-23) ON JUNE 20, 1998, MR. RICHARD B. HARTZLER OPERATED NIEUPORT 11, N921D H, AS PILOT IN COMMAND AT THE GARDNER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, GARDNER, KS. AT APPROXIMATELY 22035 CDT, MR. HARTZLER DEPARTED RUNWAY 17, AS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS APPROACHING.  DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB PHASE OF FLIGHT, HE ENCOUNTERED STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS RESULTING IN AN AIRCRAFT STALL.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A BEAN FIELD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 17, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND MINOR INJURIES TO THE PILOT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA211), Jun 21, 1998: Hartzler Nieuport 11 (N921DH), Gardner, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and the aircraft stall. A factor to the accident was the gusting wind.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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