- Date
- July 24, 1994, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Waynesburg, OH
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N601RFCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940724019139A
- Case key
- 38800
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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush. A factor was a tailwind.
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 airplane collided with trees shortly after a downwind takeoff from a 1400 foot private grass airstrip. The instructor departed downwind for terrain considerations. According to the instructor, he let the student (his wife) takeoff, but took control when he noticed the airplane had gone too far down the runway. He lifted off and outclimbed a hill, but the airplane started to sink until it struck a tree, a quarter mile past the runway. The instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions. He stated the accident could have been prevented if he had lifted off sooner.
Factual narrative
On July 24, 1994, at 1130 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 180, N601RF, registered and piloted by Reese E. Fox, a certified flight instructor (CFI), sustained substantial damage during intial takeoff climb, near Waynesburg, Ohio. The instructor and the student pilot were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane had departed from a private airstrip, and struck trees approximately 1/4 mile from the departure end of the 1400 foot runway. According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the CFI was in the right seat and he was teaching his wife how to fly. The CFI wrote:
...I had her [wife] in left seat teaching her use of rudders. She was doing a good job of keeping the plane straight and I [let] her get me too far down [the] runway-before I took control of [the] aircraft. As we climbed out, I started a climbing right turn over the hill...we got into rolling effect of heat and wind-as we were sinking we caught a tree...this accident was caused be me letting aircraft get too far down runway before, I pulled plane into air. Engine and aircraft was working fine.
According to FAA Inspector, Donald Rhodes, inspector's report, he interviewed Mr. Fox in the hospital. Mr. Rhodes wrote:
Mr. Fox stated they were making a down wind takeoff due to terrain restrictions and he let his student get too far down the short runway before becoming airborne...
Examination of the aircraft and the engine revealed no discrepancies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N601RF
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052560
- Airframe hours
- 2,307
- Engine
- Continental O-470S, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Reese E. Fox
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 21, 1993 · 12 hours before
- Destination
- Mt Victory, OH
- Airport
- 29OH · Fox
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,178 total · 840 in this make and model · 6,613 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 68 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N601RF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.