- Date
- February 23, 1988, 16:31 local (21:31 UTC)
- Place
- Martinsville, IN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9958UGrumman American AA-5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880223004389A
- Case key
- 13932
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
Pilot to take into caonsideration the wind direction and velocity before selecting his takeoff direction.
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 began a departure by taking off to the east , downwind, on a 2000' upsloping rwy. The airplane failed to clear trees & powerlines at the departure end of the rwy. It then descended out of control & crashed, and was destroyed by impact & fire. About 20 mi east-northeast, at indianapolis, the 1553 EST wind was from 310 deg at 16 gusting 22 KTS. The plt's last medical application was dated 10/3/87, but a medical certificate was denied due to a cardio-vascular problem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9958U
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A-0358
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Lutz G. Machon
- Registered owner
- Lutz G Machon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- I14 · Indianapolis, IN
- Airport
- Private, runway 9, 2,000 × 90 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,250 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 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 N9958U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.