- Date
- August 5, 1989, 20:35 local (Aug 6, 1989, 00:35 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Gaines, GA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N35131Cessna 177B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890805028069A
- Case key
- 8052
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 maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with trees adjacent to the runway.
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 landed the airplane to calm an upset child who was on his first airplane ride. After the child had been calmed the airplane was reboarded and a departure attempted from the grass strip on runway 19. The pilot reported that the wind was from the west at one knot. The nearest wx reporting facility, 40 nmi east, reported the wind as 240 degrees at five knots. After lift off the airplane settled back onto the runway, then lifted off again. At the second take off the pilot allowed the airplane to drift right, during the initial climb, and hit a tree with the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35131
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177-02226
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ncl, Inc.
- Departed
- 71J · Ozark, AL
- Airport
- 7J0 · Ft Gaines-Clay Co., runway 19, 2,837 × 77 ft, grass/turf
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 347 total · 9 in this make and model · 295 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABY, 40 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.