- Date
- November 4, 1989, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cordele, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9WTPond Midget Mustang
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891104044379A
- Case key
- 8078
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
Improper handling of the aircraft by the pilot, which resulted in his loss of control. His lack of experience in this type of aircraft was a related factor.
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 was making his 1st landing in a home built midget mustang, which he had recently purchased. During touchdown, the acft bounced & the plt elected to go around. Witnesses rprtd that the acft rolled to the left (torque rolled) as he applied full power, then crashed inverted beside the rwy. No preimpact mechanical problem was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9WT
- Reported as
- Pond Midget Mustang (MIDGET MUS)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 238
- Airframe hours
- 225
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Randy A. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 27, 1989 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- 02J
- Airport
- 02J · Crisp County, runway 9, 5,000 × 150 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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 125 total · 2 in this make and model · 125 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABY, 50 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.