NTSB CAROL · Event
Event BFO92LA108
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE ALL AVAILABLE RUNWAY AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS OWN ABILITIES.
Factual narrative
THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST TIME ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM THIS AIRPORT, HAVING LANDED THERE EARLIER IN THE DAY. WITNESSES REPORTED THE PILOT DID NOT USE ALL THE AVAILABLE RUNWAY. SEVERAL LOCAL PILOTS SAID THEY ADVISED THE PILOT AGAINST USING THE RUNWAY, BUT HE FELT OTHERWISE, EXPLAINING THAT HE HAD EXTENSIVE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, WHEN HE LIFTED OFF THE AIRPLANE 'SHUDDERED', SO HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK AN OCCUPIED VAN. THE VAN OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT CONSIDER THE ADDITIONAL TAKEOFF DISTANCE NEEDED WHEN AN UNPAVED SURFACE IS USED. ALSO, HE THOUGHT THE RUNWAY WAS ABOUT 400 FEET LONGER THAN ACTUAL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1992_BFO92LA108.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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