- Date
- May 27, 1991, 11:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5777FPiper PA28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910527017479A
- Case key
- 27217
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 failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed and the inadvertent entry into a stall mush which led to a loss of control and an uncontrolled descent. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's poor preflight planning and the 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
Witnesses observed the aircraft in the takeoff initial climb achieve an above ground altitude of about 300 feet. It then began a descent and collided with the ground about one quarter of a mile beyond the departure end of runway 28. The aircraft and engine were examined. Fuel was found throughout the fuel system and no mechanical malfunction was identified. Both propeller blades exhibited leading edge damage and chordwise scoring. The density altitude was calculated to be 7100 feet and the aircraft was found to be loaded within 100 pounds of max gross weight. Review of the predicted rate of climb data in the aircraft flight manual revealed that the aircraft could expect a maximum rate of climb of 290 feet per minute.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5777F
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25083
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David H. Barrackman
- Registered owner
- David H. Barrackman
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- TRK · Truckee, runway 28, 6,400 × 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
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 400 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRK, 1 nm away
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 N5777F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.