- Date
- July 8, 1991, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Dawson, GA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N28372Moeckel Bakeng Duce
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910708026489A
- Case key
- 8430
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's abrupt rotation after failing to maintain directional control during takeoff roll, and his failure to maintain airspeed during the initial climb, which resulted in a stall. A factor in the accident was: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.
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 commercial pilot had reported having problems with directional control in this airplane during takeoffs and landings. He obtained some instruction in a different tailwheel airplane (a Cessna 140), but could not find someone to check him out in the accident airplane. He elected to fly the airplane without a checkout. On takeoff roll, he was seen weaving from one side of the runway to the other. He abruptly rotated after departing the runway surface to the side. The wings 'wobbled,' then the airplane was observed to be stalling. The airplane rolled off to the right and impacted the terrain in a nose-low attitude. The pilot had only 4 hours total time in this make/model. He reported no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28372
- Reported as
- Moeckel Bakeng Duce (BAKENG DUC)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 329
- Airframe hours
- 31
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, 130 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cochran, Craig
- Registered owner
- Cochran, Craig
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 22, 1990 · 3 hours before
- Destination
- RMG · Rome, GA
- Airport
- 16J · Dawson Municipal, runway 31, 2,790 × 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
- 53
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,989 total · 4 in this make and model · 1,798 as pilot in command · 113 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABY, 18 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.