- Date
- May 28, 1986, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N586MSMorris B. Stephens Variviggen
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860528019879A
- Case key
- 40412
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
An excessively long takeoff run was made due to high density altitude. During intital climb the pilot over rotated causing a low airspeed. The pilot noticed this, lowered the nose and then flew into the ground. The pilot also failed to retract the landing gear after becoming airborne. The pilot gained his private pilot certificate in 1960 and at that time had logged over 130 hours of total flight time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N586MS
- Reported as
- Morris B. Stephens Variviggen
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 586
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Morris B. Stephens
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · November 8, 1985
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Airport
- 4SD · Reno/Stead, runway 8, 7,600 × 150 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 251 total · 208 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 1 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.