Cessna 140A accident near Quincy, Florida, May 26, 2011
On May 26, 2011 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 140A, registered N1137D, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Quincy, Florida (Quincy Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The private pilot's inability to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2011 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Quincy, Florida · Quincy Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140A · all 140As on the register
- Registration
- N1137D · no longer on the register · serial 15700
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot stated that the private pilot had just purchased the tailwheel-equipped airplane and asked the commercial pilot to accompany him on a flight around the airport traffic pattern in order to familiarize himself with it. The commercial pilot stated that the private pilot exhibited difficulty taxiing the airplane due to weakness on the left side of his body from a stroke sustained several years prior. The private pilot taxied to the runway and applied full engine power to take off; during the takeoff roll the airplane veered off the runway and into the grass on the right side of the runway. The commercial pilot stated that he attempted to apply control inputs to correct the airplane's path, but the airplane nosed over and the propeller impacted the ground. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall and right wing. The investigation found no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not specified
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illness/injury › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2J9 Quincy FL
- Destination: 2J9 Quincy FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,964 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft; scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from TLH, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.