- Date
- September 29, 1991, 12:26 local (19:26 UTC)
- Place
- Sisters, OR
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1404XLake LA-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910929053589A
- Case key
- 41341
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot(s), and failure to attain sufficient altitude to remain clear of obstructions. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot(s) failure to use all available runway, high density altitude, rising terrain and trees beyond the departure end of the runway, and lack of familiarity with the geographical area.
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
Witnesses rprtd the plts had difficulty locating the arpt. After lndg, they elected to takeoff on rwy 2, toward trees & rising trrn. Abt 17 mi east at redman, OR, the 1215 wx was, in part: sky clear, vis 10 mi, wind fm 030 deg at 4 KTS. At Sisters, OR, the density alt was abt 5500 ft. witnesses noted that drg takeoff, the acft was taxied onto the apch end of the rwy, then taxied down the rwy abt 100 ft before starting a rolling takeoff. There were indcns that the acft would not clr a ridge beyond the dep end of the rwy. The acft entered a steep left turn. Subsequently, it struck trees abt 50 ft AGL & crashed. Witnesses rprtd the eng was running at hi power until impact. Also, witnesses rprtd that pilots, who were familiar with the arpt, favored rwy 20 drg calm or light winds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1404X
- Reported as
- Lake LA-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44
- Airframe hours
- 326
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stuart W. Moore
- Registered owner
- Stuart W. Moore
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 6, 1991 · 121 hours before
- Destination
- HIO · Hillsboro, OR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 6K5 · Sisters Eagle Air, runway 2, 3,550 × 50 ft, macadam
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, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 217 total · 111 in this make and model · 121 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDM, 17 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.