- Date
- August 21, 1990, 16:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Ada, OK
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N20AZAerospatiale/Socata TB-10
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900821035079A
- Case key
- 23033
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in his failure to attain sufficient airspeed for a climb profile. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot allowed the weight and balance of the aircraft to exceed the certified limits, his use of excessive flaps and improper leaning of the mixture for takeoff, and 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
According to witnesses, the airplane lifted off from the runway abruptly, but it never gain more than about 50 to 75 ft of altitude, though a nose high attitude was maintained. They also stated that shortly after liftoff, they saw black & then grey smoke coming from the engine exhaust. The airplane subsequently collided with trees about two miles from the departure end of the runway. The temperature was 97 degrees & the density altitude was estimated to be 3500 feet. An investigation revealed that the airplane was overloaded by 228 lbs & that the c.g. was about 0.69 inches aft of the aft limit. The flaps were found extended about 25 degrees; the recommended flap setting for takeoff was 15 degrees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20AZ
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale/Socata TB-10
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 484
- Airframe hours
- 1,017
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1AD, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Peachtree Dekalb Flight Acdmy
- Registered owner
- Donald E. Bailey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1990 · 68 hours before
- Departed
- ADH
- Destination
- LIT · Little Rock, AR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ADH · Ada Muni, runway 35, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 199 total · 17 in this make and model · 137 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.