- Date
- October 8, 1991, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Trout Lake, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N30515Cessna 177A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911008052629A
- Case key
- 41608
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
An inadequate compensation for wind, and proper climb rate not being maintained. Factors include inadequate preflight planning, the pilot's over-confidence in his own ability and the ability of the aircraft, lack of experience in this type of operation, and 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 student pilot of the Cessna 177A attempted a downwind takeoff at the 1750 foot grass strip. Just after takeoff he realized that he was near a stall, and lowered the nose to pick up airspeed. When the nose was lowered, the aircraft began to sink, and ultimately impacted the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30515
- Reported as
- Cessna 177A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701298
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Jack W. Gillespie
- Registered owner
- Jack W. Gillespie
- Destination
- PRO · Prosser, WA
- Airport
- 66WA · Trout Lake, runway 27, 1,750 × 40 ft
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 86 total · 27 in this make and model · 52 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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.