# Accident 19980920025659A: Frchld M62A3, Amarillo, TX, September 20, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 20, 1998, 18:37 local time - Place: Amarillo, TX - Airport: Buffalo Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.0639° N, 101.8776° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BUFFALO (1E7), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0639&lon=-101.8776&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1132N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1132N) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Fairchild M-62A-3 (registry code 3371618, https://openairdocs.org/model/fairchild-m-62a-3) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Fairchild 6-440 series (registry code 26003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/fairchild-6-440-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: FRCHLD M62A3 - Reported engine: FCD 6440C5 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,635 total, 5 in this make and model, 37 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA402](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA402) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980920025659A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT STALLED AND CRASHED ON THE RWY ON TAKEOFF. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1998, AT 1837 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A FAIRCHILD M-62A-3 AIRPLANE, N1132N, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND AFTER TAKEOFF FROM BUFFALO AIRPORT NEAR AMARILLO, TEXAS. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED DURING THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PAR 91 FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL, PERSONAL FLIGHT. DURING AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE "STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER TAKEOFF". THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY WITH THE LEFT WING FIRST. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AND THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO A FENCE WHICH PUNCTURED THE FABRIC SKIN OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ADDED THAT THE WOODEN PROPELLER WAS DESTROYED. (.4) ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1998, AT 1837 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A FAIRCHILD M-62A-3 MILITARY VINTAGE AIRPLANE, N1132N, OWNED AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL ON TAKEOFF FROM THE BUFFALO AIRPORT NEAR AMARILLO, TEXAS. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL, LOCAL FLIGHT. THE 1,635 HOUR PILOT STATED IN THE ENCLOSED PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2) THAT "AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT AND THE AIRSPEED WAS LOW" RESULTING IN A STALL. HE THEN TRIED TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL BY LOWERING THE NOSE, BUT THERE WAS "INADEQUATE ALTITUDE." THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A FENCE THEN THE GROUND. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, RESULTING IN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR ATTACHING POINT. ADDITIONALLY, THE WOODEN PROPELLER WAS DESTROYED AND THE FABRIC COVERING THE WINGS WAS DAMAGED. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF FIVE HOURS IN THE MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE. WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT AS BEING "NO FACTOR." (-23) THIS COMMERCIAL PILOT STALLED HIS AIRCRAFT ON TAKE OFF DUE TO AN EXCESSIVE ANGLE OF ATTACK. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AT ABOUT 40 FEET OFF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT HAD JUST ACQUIRED THIS AIRCRAFT AND HAD ONLY 5 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THIS ANTIQUE AIRCRAFT. HOWEVER HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A 1 HOUR SOLO FLIGHT PRACTICING STALLS PRIOR TO THIS MISHAP WITH A PASSENGER. NEITHER THE PILOT OR THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES. THIS INVESTIGATION IS OVER. ## 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 FTW98LA402](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA402), Sep 20, 1998: Fairchild M-62A-3 (N1132N), Amarillo, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadvertent stall due to the pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed during the takeoff. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.