- Date
- September 4, 1989, 16:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- West Branch, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N5292BMooney M20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890904035409A
- Case key
- 14200
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 hand prop the engine with a non-pilot at the controls and the passenger's application to full throttle. A factor related to the accident was panic of the passenger.
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.
Miscellaneous/other
Planning/decision - improperCause
Throttle/power control - improper use ofCause
PanicFactor
On ground/water collision with object
Object - pole
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5292B
- Reported as
- Mooney M20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1134
- Airframe hours
- 269
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A3A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward H. Hake
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 1989 · 62 hours before
- Destination
- LUK · Cincinnati, OH
- Airport
- Y31 · W Branch Community
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
- Flight hours
- 463 total · 158 in this make and model · 463 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- Y31
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.