- Date
- August 14, 1989, 07:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- St. Clair, MO
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7136BPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890814029259A
- Case key
- 34848
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 inability to establish a positive rate of climb due to the misjudged weight and balance calculations.
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
While attempting to takeoff from a pvt grass strip of about 2000 feet in length, the acft was unable to establish a positive climb, and settled back to the terrain. The final destination was to be fairbanks, Alaska, for a hunting trip. The acft was loaded with baggage, hunting gear, firearms, pilot and two adult passengers. The acft had been converted to a tail wheel configuration and in addition was equipped with large, oversize, 'tundra type' tires. Post accident investigation revealed no mechanical or fuel supply malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7136B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 224355
- Airframe hours
- 1,976
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Landing, Jerry D.
- Registered owner
- Douglas, Cecil G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 1989 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · St. Clair, MO
- Destination
- Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NONE, runway 35, 2,600 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,112 total · 28 in this make and model · 82 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUS, 40 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.