- Date
- October 27, 1991, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Burnsville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N74279Gulfstream American AA5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911027048069A
- Case key
- 8542
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 inadequate preflight planning and the selection of takeoff runway with an upslope for takeoff. Factors were the pilot's lack of experience with the geographical area and the high density altitude.
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 airplane skidded down a hillside after the pilot rejected a takeoff from a runway which rose 40 feet from the initial takeoff roll. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff about 900 feet from the end of the runway. Reportedly, the winds were calm and the downslope runway was recommended for normal takeoffs from the mountainous airport. The pilot was not experienced with operations at higher than sea level. The density altitude was estimated at 5,250 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74279
- Reported as
- Gulfstream American AA5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A-0185
- Airframe hours
- 1,400
- Engine
- Lycoming O-310-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mccandless, Jeffrey D
- Registered owner
- Mccandless, Jeffrey D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1991 · 120 hours before
- Departed
- Burnsville, NC
- Destination
- 49J · Hilton Head Isl, SC
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NONE · Mt. Air Airport, runway 32, 3,000 × 50 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 100 in this make and model · 130 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AVL, 30 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.