Coronado Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113
Saturday, March 25, 1989 10:30 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

SURVIVING PAX SAID ACFT BANKED STEEPLY TO LEFT AFTER TAKEOFF AND SHUDDERED. HE SAW PLT REACH FOR FLAP CONTROL HANDLE. PAX REMEMBERED HORN BLOWING IN BACKGROUND. WITNESSES SAID ACFT SPEED AND CLIMB RATE WERE SLOW AND SAW ACFT WOBBLE AND DIP WINGS. ONE WITNESS, IN LINE WITH ACFT TAKEOFF PATH, SAW FLAPS BEING RETRACTED SLIGHTLY. EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE DISCLOSED FLAP JACKSCREW EXTENDED 10 THREADS OR 1.66 INCHES, EQUIVALENT TO APRX 14 DEG FLAPS DOWN. MANUFACTURER SUGGESTS TAKE OFF WITH FLAPS UP OR 1/4 (7.5 DEG) DOWN. PLT WAS KNOWN TO HAVE HABIT OF STARTING TAKEOFF ROLL WITH FLAPS UP AND, AS LIFTOFF SPEED WAS ATTAINED, TO 'SLAP' FLAP HANDLE DOWN TO DETENT (1/4 OR 7.5 DEG SETTING). EXPERIMENTATION LATER SHOWED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO SLAP FLAP HANDLE INADVERTENTLY PAST DETENT OR FULL DOWN POSITION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF FLAPS DURING TAKEOFF WHICH RESULTED IN INADEQUATE AIRSPEED, A STALL, AND LOSS OF CONTROL.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/25/1989
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1030
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City ALBUQUERQUE
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 87113
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CORONADO
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 4AC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 90
Airport Elevation 5280
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1048 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 185
Weather Observation Facility ID ABQ
Elevation of weather observation facility 5352
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 60
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 6558
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 335
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 25 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1117
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38714
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:31PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2972X
NTSB Number DEN89FA093
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 177RG
Aircraft Series Identifier 177RG
Aircraft Serial Number 177000372
Certified Max Gross Weight 2350
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 14 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 15
Airframe Hours 1624
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JAY E. WETZEL
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT. 2, P.O. BOX 345
Aircraft Owner City TAWAS CITY
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 48763
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2554 N. EAST DRIVE
Operator City TAWAS CITY
Operator State MI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 48763
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 4AC
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DVT
Destination City PHOENIX
Destination State AZ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17
Runway Length 4010
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --