- Date
- January 31, 1987, 15:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Pinson, AL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N704FTCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870131001939A
- Case key
- 7375
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
During intial climb after takeoff the eng quit and restarted more than once. The acft was turned back toward the departure rwy. During the turn, the wing struck a tree, control was lost, and the acft collided with the ground. Examination of the eng revealed low compression on the #4 cylinder and arcing of the #4 spark plug lead. The plt had not had a bfr since receiving pvt certification 31 months prior to the accident. The aircraft was overdue for annual inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N704FT
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15078582
- Airframe hours
- 1,594
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David S. Comer
- Registered owner
- David S. Comer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 1985 · 59 hours before
- Airport
- Turkey Creek, runway 36, dirt
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 176 total · 176 in this make and model · 125 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.