- Date
- April 9, 1985, 17:15 local (Apr 10, 1985, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Grant, NM
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N738LRCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850409014259A
- Case key
- 16662
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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 acft crashed during takeoff from a dirt strip near Grant, NM, while on a pleasure flt. VMC conditions prevailed and no flt plan was filed. The plt & his 3 occupants were not injured. The plt reported that a dust devil caught the acft at an alt of 35-50 ft AGL and caused the acft to crash into the ground. The plt reported no mechanical problems with the acft. The fld elevation is about 6800 ft and the temperature was aprx 65-75 deg f resulting in a density alt of about 8700 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738LR
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270066
- Airframe hours
- 1,550
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William D. Soulsby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- FAM · Farmington, NM
- Airport
- runway 9, 4,500 × 60 ft, dirt
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 465 total · 436 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.