- Date
- May 12, 1989, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Terre Haute, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N77201Cessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 29, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890512011409A
- Case key
- 14351
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's inability to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. A factor in the accident was the crosswind.
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.
Loss of control - on ground/water
Directional control - not maintainedCause
Weather condition - crosswindFactor
Compensation for wind conditions - inadequateCause
Ground loop/swerve - inadvertentCause
Nose down
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77201
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11663
- Airframe hours
- 2,221
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mueller, Melvin F.
- Registered owner
- Mueller, Melvin F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 6, 1988 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- HUF · Terre Haute, IN
- Destination
- NONE · New Douglas, IL
- Airport
- HUF · Hulman Reg., runway 5, 9,020 × 150 ft, asphalt
N77201Registration cancelled Jan 8, 2022 · Cessna 140Airframe modelCessna 140Engine modelContinental C85 series
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 344 total · 185 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HUF
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 N77201 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.