- Date
- September 3, 1991, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Asheville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1782GBeech B-33
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910903040129A
- Case key
- 8467
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. Factors were tall wet grass, and the failure of airport personnel to maintain the runway surface.
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 attempted a normal takeoff from a turf airstrip with tall and wet grass. As the airplane accelerated on the takeoff roll, the pilot realized that a safe takeoff and climbout were not possible. He elected to reject the takeoff. The airplane collided with a ditch off the departure end of the runway which resulted in substantial structural damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1782G
- Reported as
- Beech B-33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD 510
- Airframe hours
- 4,467
- Engine
- Continental IO-470K, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Groendyke, Sanford N
- Registered owner
- Groendyke, Sanford N
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 1991 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- NC33 · Mills River, NC
- Airport
- NC33 · Ritter Airpark, runway 23, 2,150 × 75 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
- 70
- 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
- 4,185 total · 2,397 in this make and model · 4,060 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AVL, 20 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 N1782G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.