- Date
- July 5, 1991, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albert Lea, MN
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N363HLacey B D4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910705026259A
- Case key
- 14858
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 failure to take adequate remedial action. Related factors are the tall grass runway conditions, and the inadequate airspeed.
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 passenger reported, 'about halfway sown the runway (during the takeoff roll) the pilot pushed the stick forward and lifted the tail...it appeared to me that the plane tried to lift off at least once or twice.' As they neared the end of the runway the passenger heard the pilot comment ,'we aren't going to make it.' He stated the airplane veered right and came to a sudden stop, nosed down in a field. A ground fire ensued, which destroyed the aircraft and pilot logbook records. The aircraft wreckage was removed from the field with a front end loader, and was located in a wooded area when examined by federal investigators. There was no evidence of pre impact malfunction/difficulty. The sheriff reported that the grass on the 2,500 foot lang airstrip was tall (about 6 inches) and the temperature was 85 degrees fahrenheit at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N363H
- Reported as
- Lacey B D4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 363
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Daren C. Whipple
- Registered owner
- Daren C. Whipple
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Destination
- RST · Rochester, MN
- Airport
- NONE · Jensen Air Field, runway 36, 2,509 × 100 ft
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 190 total · 51 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.