- Date
- June 9, 1990, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Condon, MT
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8961GCessna 182N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900609019619A
- Case key
- 17947
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 abort the takeoff.
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, with 3 pax aboard, attempted to take off from rwy 13 (3,035 ft x 200 ft, turf) at the Condon, MT, usfs airstrip (elevation 3,686 ft MSL). Winds were aprx 1-5 mph. The plt selected 20 deg of flaps and used a short/soft field takeoff procedure. The acft lifted off briefly but settled back to the ground. The plt did not feel he could abort takeoff because there were trucks, trailers, mules, and people at the end of the rwy. He thought he encountered a sudden downdraft. The acft yawed to the left and cleared the parked vehicles but was unable to clear the trees. The plt cut the pwr and tried to slow the acft before impact. Performance calculations indicate acft needed 1,240 ft of rwy for its ground run and 2,084 ft to clear a 50-FT obstacle. Plt said airstrip is known for wind shear above tree line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8961G
- Reported as
- Cessna 182N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18260501
- Airframe hours
- 5,396
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Minuteman Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Minuteman Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 5, 1990 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- S04
- Airport
- S04 · Condon Usfs, runway 13, 3,035 × 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 127 total · 30 in this make and model · 77 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.