- Date
- March 11, 1989, 10:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N81GJJennings Pietenpol Aircamper
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890311003709A
- Case key
- 34767
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
Failure of the pilot in command to adequately preflight the aircraft resulting in a front cockpit seat cushion interfering with the rudder pedals and brakes.
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 pvt plt said that during the takeoff roll of the homebuilt acft, the plane veered to the left. The plt was unable to directionally control the acft, and it veered off the runway and rolled over. Post accident investigation revealed the front seat cushion, of the open cockpit tandem seated acft, had fallen to the cockpit floor causing a restriction of the front passenger's brake pedals. The front cockpit had a cover over it making it inconvenient to visually inspect it during the preflight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81GJ
- Reported as
- Jennings Pietenpol Aircamper (PIETENPOL)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 122068
- Airframe hours
- 30
- Engine
- Ford FIESTA, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jennings, Gerald R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- LNK · Lincoln, NE
- Airport
- LNK · Lincoln, runway 35, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 59 total · 22 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LNK, 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.