Grigg/Bowers FLYBABY N1305

Summary

On 7 May 1989 at about 16:34 local time, a Grigg/Bowers FLYBABY registered N1305 was involved in an accident near West Plains, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 May 1989 at 16:34

Classification

Accident

Location

West Plains, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

36.7395, -91.8595

Aircraft

Grigg/Bowers FLYBABY

Registration

N1305

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → West Plains

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MKC89DCG01

1 person was seriously injured.

IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO AVOID A POWER TRANSMISSION LINE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: RISING TERRAIN, TALL GRASS, TAILWIND, AND THE TRANSMISSION WIRES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT HAD FLOWN ANOTHER ACFT FROM DIKE, IA TO JONESBORO, AR & HAD TRADED IT FOR N1305, WHICH HE WAS FLYING BACK TO DIKE. HE HAD PLANNED AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT WEST PLAINS, MO. IN THE VICINITY OF WEST PLAINS, WITNESSES HEARD A POPPING SOUND FROM THE ENG. THE PLT LANDED IN A FLD OF KNEE HIGH GRASS NEAR WEST PLAINS. AFTER REPAIRING A REPORTED PROBLEM WITH A SCREW ON THE CARBURETOR, THE PLT ELECTED TO FLY THE ACFT OUT OF THE FIELD. HE INITIATED A TAKEOFF TO THE EAST ON SLIGHTLY RISING TERRAIN WITH A SLIGHT TAIL WIND. AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE ACFT GAINED LITTLE ALTITUDE BFR RCHG POWER LINES & ENTERED A SHARP TURN. IT THEN PITCHED DOWN & CRASHED. WITNESSES REPORTED THE WIND WAS GENTLE FM THE WEST, BUT MOVEMENT OF TREETOPS INDCD A STRONGER WIND ALOFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.