- Date
- July 19, 1985, 07:25 local (12:25 UTC)
- Place
- Big Falls, MN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5279SPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850719032879A
- Case key
- 13151
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 diverted into the Big Falls arpt because his original destination was below VFR minimums. After checking the sod runway for a firmness & determining a go/no go point, he subsequently took off using soft field techniques. His rotation was well in advance of the designated go/no go point. The plt reported that at the departure end of the rwy, the climb performance deteriorated to the point where the acft settled into trees to the west of the airfield. He attributed the loss of climb performance to a wind shift or wind shear. There were 2 passengers & 35 gal of fuel on board when the acdnt occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5279S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-26909
- Airframe hours
- 3,080
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pelican Valley Aviators
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1985 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- 7Y9
- Destination
- INL · Int'L Falls, MN
- Airport
- 7Y9 · Big Falls, runway 29, 2,602 × 200 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 162 total · 162 in this make and model · 107 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HIB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.