- Date
- August 2, 1985, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Zelienople, PA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N85JPJames Postlewait RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850802035999A
- Case key
- 35596
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
A witness reported that when the acft was departing, the takeoff run & beginning of the climb appeared to be normal. However, at about 300 to 400 ft AGL, the left wing dropped & the acft pivoted to the left, then the plane crashed in a steep nose down descent. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N85JP
- Reported as
- James Postlewait RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 105
- Airframe hours
- 125
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Postlewait
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · May 31, 1985 · 97 hours before
- Destination
- BTP · Butler, PA
- Airport
- Zelienople Muni, runway 35, 4,560 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 125 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.