- Date
- April 13, 1985, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Mechanicsville, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2392NPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850413029409A
- Case key
- 33929
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt attempted a takeoff from a short, wet, soft, alfalfa field in an acft loaded with two occurants and aprx a full load of fuel. The acft collided with a fence and a tree after using the available distance in the flt attempt. Plt recommended a more comprehensive check of acft wt & bal and allowances to be made for extra takeoff distance on soft & rough terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2392N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-79A0821
- Airframe hours
- 20
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tibben Flight Lines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 178 total · 7 in this make and model · 148 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 16 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.