- Date
- October 26, 1989, 15:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N77707Funk, D.D. B85C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891026043109A
- Case key
- 22992
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 of the pilot to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a stall. The unfavorable/gusty wind condition was a related factor.
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
When the pilot took off, there were numerous thunderstorms & rainshowers in the area. Towering cumulus clouds were reported in all quadrants & the wind was reported to be gusting to 25 KTS. After departing from runway 16, the pilot made right turns to the north & began a climb. According to witnesses, the acft was climbing in a nose high attitude when it entered a descent & crashed. Impact occurred just west of the arpt. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the aircraft was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77707
- Reported as
- Funk, D.D. B85C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 337
- Airframe hours
- 1,515
- Engine
- Continental C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James L. George
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 1989 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- 74R
- Destination
- SSF
- Airport
- 74R · San Antonio Horizon
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 385 total · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAT, 12 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.