- Date
- May 7, 1990, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Starbuck, MN
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1633HPiper PA-28R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900507014859A
- Case key
- 34978
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
Compensation for wind conditions were misjudged and aircraft control was not maintained by the pilot in command.
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 on a 2500 foot grass strip, during strong, gusty, crosswind conditions, the commercial pilot lost control and collided with the terrain shortly after breaking ground. The acft was loaded with the pilot and three pax, about 40 gallons of fuel and baggage. The air temperature was about 86 degrees and the 90 degree crosswind was about 18 knots, gusting to 25.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1633H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7737005
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Phoenix Aero Inc.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- D32 · Starbuck, MN
- Destination
- M1C · Crystal, MN
- Airport
- D32 · Starbuck,, runway 15, 2,500 × 200 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,943 total · 110 in this make and model · 1,806 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Observed at
- AXN, 15 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.