- Date
- December 12, 1991, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spur, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8859LGrumman AA1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911212063319A
- Case key
- 18422
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for 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 pilot was attempting to depart a wet muddy turf airstrip. Due to degraded takeoff performance he was unable to reach rotation speed and aborted the takeoff. The airplane overran the end of the runway and collided with trees. According to the pilot, it rained one day prior to his departure and four wheel drive vehicles had been on the grass/dirt airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8859L
- Reported as
- Grumman AA1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1B-0359
- Airframe hours
- 2,520
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James W. Winzer
- Registered owner
- James W. Winzer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 1991 · 83 hours before
- Destination
- DTN · Shreveport, LA
- Airport
- 62F · Spur, runway 17, 2,600 × 70 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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 580 total · 125 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °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.