- Date
- February 9, 1991, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gilmer, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3147LDonald E. Samuels Q2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910209001849A
- Case key
- 23188
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 attain proper climb performance.
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
At a gross weight at or near maximum the airplane got airborne about 2/3 down the 3,300 foot long strip. The pilot was unable to attain a climb rate sufficient to clear a power line off the north end of the runway. This was the first flight with a newly installed climb propeller. The pilot was instructed to use only 3,300 RPM, versus the normal 3500 RPM full power application, for takeoff with this propeller. He stated he probably could have missed the wires if he had gone to full power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3147L
- Reported as
- Donald E. Samuels Q2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2595
- Engine
- Revmaster 2100D, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David L. Breed
- Registered owner
- Corey Fruge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- 4F4 · Upshur County, runway 35, 3,300 × 50 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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.