- Date
- December 23, 1994, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8389QCessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941223042149A
- Case key
- 19327
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 maintain airspeed resulting in the inadvertent stall.
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 reported that during takeoff the aircraft would not maintain a climb. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane in a nose high attitude descend to ground impact. The pilot reported that the aircraft bounced along the runway several times and he lost directional control. The aircraft exited the runway and came to rest on a taxiway. The passenger reported that after the last bounce 'the nose dropped' and the airplane contacted the runway in a nose down attitude.
Factual narrative
On December 23, 1994, at 1245 mountain standard time, a Cessna A185F, N8389Q, was substantially damaged during takeoff from a private airport near Erie, Colorado. The private pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. There was no flight plan filed.
In the Pilot/Operator report, the pilot stated that he "steadily increased back pressure on the yoke and the aircraft started to climb. At approximately 10 feet above ground level, the aircraft did not appear able to sustain flight. The aircraft then bounced along the runway a number of times and directional control was lost."
A passenger reported that the "engine sounded fine as we began our take-off roll. We left the runway and rose to approximately 10 feet and then sank back to the runway. We settled on the runway and climbed back into the air to approximately 20 feet and descended again. This time we hit as though we had made a hard landing and went back into the air to about 50 feet. At this point it seemed as if the nose dropped and we were approaching the runway...at a steep angle."
A witness also reported seeing the aircraft in an "unusual attitude--nose high, tail low" and striking the runway several times before it came to rest on a taxiway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8389Q
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503678
- Airframe hours
- 1,478
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D40B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- D. Galloway & R. Richardson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 1994 · 178 hours before
- Destination
- 3V5 · Fort Collins, CO
- Airport
- 7O0 · Parkland, runway 8, 4,000 × 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 474 total · 398 in this make and model · 372 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °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.
Other investigations on N8389Q · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.