- Date
- March 26, 1989, 14:49 local (19:49 UTC)
- Place
- Covington, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N55530Boeing A75N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890326011129A
- Case key
- 7884
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
Inadequate preflight by the pilot by inadvertently allowing the carburetor heat to be in the 'hot' position for takeoff. The high density altitude and trees were considered to be contributing factors.
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 plt reported that the engine gradually began to lose pwr just after takeoff. The airplane began to descend, and subsequently crashed into trees near the end of the rwy. A post-crash exam of the acft revealed that the carb heat control was in the 'hot' position. The pilot stated that he did not use carb heat during the flt, or during pre-flt run-up. Further exam of the acft after removal from the crash site revealed impact-related marks on carb-heat control push-pull rod system, which indicated that the control was in the 'hot' position at the time of impact. The carb heat control was not readily visible to the plt, due to its location. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any pre-existing mechanical malfunction or failure. No evidence of contamination was found in the airplane fuel supply or system. The ambient air temp was rprtd to be 80 deg; the density alt was estimated to be 2700 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55530
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-4472
- Airframe hours
- 5,289
- Engine
- Lycoming R-680-B4E, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Grover L. Anderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 1988 · 38 hours before
- Airport
- 9A1 · Covington Muni, runway 27, 4,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 811 total · 25 in this make and model · 811 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 28 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.
Other investigations on N55530 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.