- Date
- October 21, 1989, 09:44 local (14:44 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9487TPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891021042069A
- Case key
- 14581
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in his failure to attain sufficient airspeed. Factors related to the accident were: the runway condition & obstructions.
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 plt landed at an arpt that was closed for construction when his acft was low on fuel. He refueled, but only had about 1200 ft of available rwy for takeoff. The sod rwy was wet & the grass was rprtd to be 'long.' The plt rprtd that after takeoff, the acft would not climb. He said that he turned right & landed to avoid obstructions, (trees & houses), but the acft hit 2 houses before stopping.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9487T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0114
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stevan E. Vowell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- C09 · Morris, IL
- Airport
- 3LC · Logan County, runway 32, 2,700 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 206 total · 25 in this make and model · 167 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPI, 26 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.