- Date
- April 8, 1993, 15:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Las Cruces, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N20JVVaughan Mustang II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930408008149A
- Case key
- 18721
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 aircrafts takeoff performance exceeded and pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the wind
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
During the takeoff ground run on runway 30 the pilot lost control of the airplane and it ran off the left side of the runway and struck a taxiway sign. Wind was 350 degrees at 20 knots. The pilot reported that he lost rudder authority
Factual narrative
On April 8, 1993, at approximately 1515 mountain daylight time (MDT) a Vaughan Mustang II, N20JV, was substantially damaged during takeoff. The Air Transport Rated pilot, who was the owner and operator, was not injured. Weather for the local area flight was visual meteorological conditions.
During an interview with the pilot, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, he stated that during the takeoff ground run on runway 30 he lost control and ran off the left side of the runway. Following the runway departure the airplane struck a taxiway sign. He further reported that there was no mechanical problems with the airplane and that he just ran out of rudder. Winds were reported to be 350 degrees at 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20JV
- Reported as
- Vaughan Mustang II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 368
- Airframe hours
- 606
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcgrew, Albert W.
- Registered owner
- Mcgrew, Albert W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1993 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- LRU
- Destination
- LRU
- Airport
- LRU · Las Cruces, runway 3, 7,494 × 150 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
- 68
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 28,000 total · 5 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.