- Date
- August 26, 1989, 15:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Pontiac, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9BDFeil BD-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890826031719A
- Case key
- 14179
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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the excessive pull-up maneuver and the pilot's lack of total experience in the aircraft.
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
Witnesses observed the aircraft depart on runway 09R at a high pitch attitude. Shortly after departure the aircraft entered a left roll to a near inverted position and descended to terrain impact approximately 1/2 mile east of the airport. Inspection revealed no malfunction/failure of the aircraft which would have resulted in the loss of control. This flight was the second flight for the pilot in this aircraft since 1987. The pilot reportedly stated to a witness that he wanted to fly to get used to the feel of the flight controls of the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9BD
- Reported as
- Feil BD-5
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3323
- Engine
- Honda EB 3-0200162, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Henri F. Feil
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- PTK · Oakland-Pontiac, runway 9R, 6,200 × 150 ft
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 302 total · 302 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PTK, 1 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.