- Date
- December 7, 1985, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rochester, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4155NCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851207061069A
- Case key
- 13389
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
Upon takeoff and after reaching an altitude of approx ten feet the right side of the cowl became unlatched and whipped up into the airstream, blocking the pilots forward view and causing some control problems. He elected to abort the takeoff and ran off the runway during landing rollout. The aircraft hit a snowbank and flipped over on its back. According to the pilot the cowl latches appeared to be working properly before and after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4155N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13626
- Airframe hours
- 1,706
- Engine
- Continental C85-7-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ned Bemenderfer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 1985
- Airport
- RCR · Fulton County, runway 11, 3,200 × 60 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 199 total · 199 in this make and model · 127 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.