Beech H35 incident near Birmingham, Alabama, June 11, 1986
On June 11, 1986 at about 12:14 pm local time, a Beech H35, registered N7989D, suffered minor damage in an incident near Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1986 · about 12:14 pm local time
- Place
- Birmingham, Alabama · Birmingham Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 · all H35s on the register
- Registration
- N7989D · registry record · serial D5243
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF GROUND RUN THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT DEVELOP FULL POWER ACCORDING TO THE PILOT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF AND DURING THE ABORTED TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,801 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 6,589 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 1986; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 55J Fernandina Bch FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 4,856 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from BHM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.