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CHI91DER14

1991-08-11 · MILACA, Minnesota, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 18Y

N327DM has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 182P), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF AND DEPARTURE WHICH RESULTED IN A DRAGGED WING AND GROUND IMPACT. RELATED FACTORS ARE THE ROUGH AIRSTRIP, THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPEREINCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION, AND THE PREMATURE LIFT-OFF.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT STATED HE ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO LIFT OFF THE GRASS RUNWAY PREMATURELY, PLANNING TO HOLD IT IN GROUND EFFECT AND ACCELERATE. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AS IT BOUNCED AND SWERVED BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE. THEY REPORTED THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 25 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND BANKED LEFT. THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE GRASS AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE GRASS STRIP. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN SOME BUSHY TREES AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE PILOT HAD ABOUT 40 HOURS IN THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. IT WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST OPERATION ON A SOD STRIP IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRSTRIP WAS BUMPY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_CHI91DER14.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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