- Date
- February 24, 1990, 15:37 local (23:37 UTC)
- Place
- Troutdale, OR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3TRansome Pitts Special S-1C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900224002599A
- Case key
- 41169
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Inadequate maintenance which resulted in a loss of engine power during the initial climb shortly after takeoff.
Analysis
During the initial climb after departure from the airport, the engine began to sputter and lose power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, however, due to insufficient altitude, the airplane collided with a tree and subsequently the terrain. During the engine inspection, several pre-existing maintenance problems were identified.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3T
- Reported as
- Ransome Pitts Special S-1C (PITTS SPEC)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JDR-1
- Airframe hours
- 840
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B3B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul Fogel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 9, 1989
- Departed
- TTD
- Destination
- 59S · Vancouver, WA
- Airport
- TTD · Troutdale, runway 25, 5,400 × 150 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
- 56
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 639 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TTD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.