- Date
- July 1, 1990, 17:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Millington, MI
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5250PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900701025519A
- Case key
- 14699
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
Inadequate planning-decision, failure to obtain lift-off airspeed, and failure to perform an aborted takeoff. Factors related to the accident are the uphill sloping runway, soft turf, high grass, and complacency.
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 pilot attempted a takeoff from an 1,800 foot grass strip with an uphill slope. The turf was soft, and the grass was 6-10 inches high. The aircraft load consisted of the pilot, three adult passengers, and 52 gallons of fuel. Approximately three- quarters down the runway the aircraft had not reached lift-off airspeed, and the pilot thought it was too late to initiate an aborted takeoff. The pilot rotated the aircraft and retracted the landing gear to attempt a takeoff. The aircraft struck several trees 8-10 feet high at the departure end of the runway, and crashed into an adjacent farmer's field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5250P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-282
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Garold L. Fox
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- Y47 · New Hudson, MI
- Airport
- NONE · Jenson, runway 27, 1,800 × 50 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,938 total · 1,141 in this make and model · 1,593 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 14 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNT, 20 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.