NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL83LA087
Registry · N520R
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
DEHAVILLAND TIGER MOTH DH 82A
Engine
DEHAV ENG GIPSY MAJOR (140 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19691001
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A68A65
Registrant of record
BAKER NICHOLAS
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PLT REPORTED THAT AFTER HE TAXIED TO THE RWY, THE #1 OIL TEMP WAS NOT UP TO THE MINIMUM TEMP. HE SET THE PARKING & ADVANCED THE #1 THROTTLE TO 1500 RPM UNTIL THE ENGINE WARMED UP. WHEN BOTH OIL TEMPS WERE WITHIN LIMITS, HE ADVANCED BOTH THROTTLES TO 30 INCHES MP & 2250 RPM FOR A PRETAKEOFF CHECK. AT THAT TIME, HE USED THE NORMAL (TOE) BRAKES, SINCE THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD NOT HOLD THE ACFT ABOVE APRX 1700 RPM. HE THEN APPLIED FULL POWER & RELEASED THE BRAKES FOR TAKEOFF. AS HE STARTED TO ROLL WITH A SLIGHT LEFT X-WIND, THE ACFT BEGAN DRIFTING LEFT. HE CORRECTED WITH RIGHT RUDDER, SOME RIGHT BRAKE & RIGHT AILERON. THE ACFT THEN BEGAN DRIFTING RIGHT & THE PLT SUSPECTED A WIND-SHIFT FROMTHAT DIRECTION. HE APPLIED LEFT RUDDER & RIGHT AILERON, BUT THE PLANE VEER RIGHT, WENT OFF THE RWY & HEADED FOR A DITCH.UNABLE TO STOP, THE PLT TRIED TO CLEAR THE DITCH. AS THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE, THE LEFT WING DROPPED & HIT THE GROUND, AND THE ACFT YAWED & CRASHED. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS FOUND PARTIALLY ENGAGED. TIRE MARKS WERE EVIDENT ON THE RWY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1983_ATL83LA087.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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