- Date
- May 12, 1991, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3345TCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910512020299A
- Case key
- 15062
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
Failure to obtain airspeed for positive lift off and climb. Factors related to the accident were a grass/sod runway and a high density altitude.
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 said that while attempting to takeoff from the short, sod strip, the aircraft failed to attain positive lift off/climb speed and settled back to the terrain. The air temperature was 84 degrees, and the vegetation on the runway was about 5 to 6 inches tall. The horizontal stabilator sustained substantial damage. Post accidnet investigation revealed no malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3345T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700645
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clark Smith/ Ralph Biggs
- Airport
- C42 · Gage, runway 18, 1,800 × 75 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
- 75
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- FWA, 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.
Other investigations on N3345T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.