- Date
- March 14, 1990, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elaine, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N28625WSK PZL Mielec PZL-M-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900314018349A
- Case key
- 34941
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot and his failure to maintain directional control. Factors related to the accident were: the unfavorable weather conditions, runway condition, and the pilot's overconfidence in himself and the aircraft.
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 attempted to takeoff from a narrow 1600 ft strip with a heavy load. Reportedly, the acft's wing struck the terrain. Subsequently, it spun around & was damaged. The pilot said the weather was unsettled with variable winds from 140 to 170 deg, gusting 20 to 30 knots. Additionally, he said there might have been a soft area in the runway that contributed to a loss of forward momentum. Aprx 60 mi wnw at little rock, the 1550 wind was from 180 deg at 10 gusting 25 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28625
- Reported as
- WSK PZL Mielec PZL-M-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12008-19
- Engine
- Pezetel ASZ-621R-M-18, 967 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Fess Flying Service, Inc
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airport
- NONE · Fess Pvt, runway 22, 1,600 × 22 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
- 53
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 13,900 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- LIT, 60 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.