- Date
- April 28, 1990, 09:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Pleasant, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7616TCessna 172A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900428013069A
- Case key
- 36636
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 failed to maintain directional control during takeoff, a premature lift-off, and an inadvertent stall/mush. A factor in the accident was the unfavorable wind.
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 was making a soft field takeoff from a 2000 ft long turf runway which slopes to the right. The winds were about 10 degrees left of the nose, at 3 to 5 knots. At liftoff, there was wind change to approximately 60 to 70 degrees from the left at 16 knots and the airplane was blown to the right, off the side of the runway and down and embankment. The right wing struck the ground and the airplane impacted nose first into the ground. A pilot landing a few minutes after the accident said the winds were varying 90 degrees in direction and gusting.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7616T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47216
- Airframe hours
- 2,796
- Engine
- Continental O-300C, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen G. Burish,Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1989 · 115 hours before
- Airport
- G07 · Mt Pleasant/Scottsdale, runway 24, 2,000 × 160 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 150 in this make and model · 114 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.