- Date
- July 22, 1990, 19:25 local (Jul 23, 1990, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Grain Valley, MO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N89BDGeorge R. Losey J6-KARATOO
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900722027759A
- Case key
- 14438
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 propeller blade separation during initial climb, and the failure of the pilot in command to maintain flying speed during the emergency descent.
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 accident airplane collided with terrain during an emergency descent after a blade tip came off the propeller during initial climb. The pilot in the right seat stated that he assumed control of the airplane after the propeller failure. He also stated that the airplane stalled during a turn to return to the airport and descended into the ground. The pilot in the left seat does not remember the accident. The investigation disclosed that the propeller had been modified (shortened) and new tips fabricated and installed by one of the owners of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89BD
- Reported as
- George R. Losey J6-KARATOO
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1210
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pamela S. Ratliff
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 25, 1990 · 70 hours before
- Airport
- 3GV · East Kansas City, runway 27, 3,810 × 44 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 128 total · 21 in this make and model · 54 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GVW, 18 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.