Falcon Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mesa, Arizona 85205
Sunday, March 11, 1990 8:50 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED SETTLING TO THE RUNWAY AFTER INITIALLY BECOMING AIRBORNE. WITNESSES INDICATED THE AIRPLANE THEN BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN, BUT NEVER CLIMBED HIGHER THAN 50 FEET. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AND IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER GROSS WEIGHT. A SURVIVING PASSENGER STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS 'STOL' EQUIPPED AND 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS WERE SELECTED FOR THE DEPARTURE. EXAMINATIN OF THE WRECKAGE CONFIRMED THE 20 DEG FLAP SETTING. THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS SET FULL NOSE UP. THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 58 POUNDS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE AIRPLANE CHECKLIST AND PROPERLY CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S POOR PREFLIGHT PREPARATION AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO COMPUTE THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT BEFORE TAKEOFF.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/11/1990
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 850
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City MESA
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 85205
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport FALCON FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID FFZ
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 1392
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 912 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 220
Weather Observation Facility ID FFZ
Elevation of weather observation facility 1392
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1850
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 11 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 810
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43638
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:50PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N94302
NTSB Number LAX90LA117
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model T210L
Aircraft Series Identifier T210L
Aircraft Serial Number 21060589
Certified Max Gross Weight 3800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 25 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HALE COSTERISAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address RURAL ROUTE 3 BOX 408A
Aircraft Owner City BALERSFIELD
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93307
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 850
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City BAKERSFIELD
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 4R
Runway Length 5100
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --