- Date
- July 2, 1990, 21:00 local (Jul 3, 1990, 05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cantwell, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N25759Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 5399
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot failed to understand the performance parameters of the airplane and his lack of total experience. A contributing factor to the accident was operating the airplane at a greater than allowable gross weight.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the airplane did not climb as well as he had anticipated, and that the airplane settled into brush shortly after departure. Utilizing weights supplied by the pilot, as well as the weight and balance documents from the airplane, disclosed that the airplane was 40 pounds over the allowable gross weight at the time of the accident. Consulting the performance data contained in the airplane's operating handbook revealed that the airplane would require considerably more runway than what was available to clear obstructions at the end of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25759
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-81A0071
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vernair, Inc.
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Airport
- Z68 · Cantwell, runway 22, 2,100 × 50 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 131 total · 91 in this make and model · 77 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
Other investigations on N25759 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.