- Date
- April 23, 1989, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rochester Hills, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N642JBBridges LONG-EZ
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890423009659A
- Case key
- 14177
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 decision to takeoff from unsuitable terrain which resulted in damage to the propeller and nose gear.
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 stated that the nose gear struck something on the runway during the takeoff roll. There were chunks of gravel and asphalt on the first 800 ft of the runway. The pilot attempted to retract the nose gear but could not get a full retraction so he elected to fly with it partially extended. A power reduction was made to 2000 RPM at which time the airplane began to violently vibrate. The pilot extended the nose gear and shut the engine down in preparation for landing. The nose gear collapsed during the landing. Witnesses reported seeing something falling from the airplane during flight. Examination revealed a 20 inch section of one propeller blade was missing. The wooden propeller had a history of damage with the repairs made by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N642JB
- Reported as
- Bridges LONG-EZ
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- LE-6996
- Airframe hours
- 283
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- J. E. Bridges/ R. E. Bridges
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 22, 1988 · 112 hours before
- Departed
- 57D · New Haven, MI
- Destination
- 7D2 · Troy, MI
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 610 total · 242 in this make and model · 511 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PTK, 14 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.