Cessna 140A accident near Justin, Texas, January 24, 1998
On January 24, 1998, a Cessna 140A, registered N377V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Justin, Texas (Ken Woodall'S Private 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 pilot's improper planning/decision and failure to ensure that the airplane would be able to remain clear of the fence during takeoff. Factors relating to the accident were: the wet/soft/short runway (and terrain) conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 1998
- Place
- Justin, Texas · Ken Woodall'S Private · 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
- N377V · no longer on the register · serial 15367
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taking off north from a 1,500 foot grass airstrip. The non-rated passenger, who was seated in the left seat, stated that 'the tail wheel came up at the midpoint of the airstrip.' The pilot added that the airplane became airborne with a little less than 1/3 of the runway remaining. During initial climb, the main landing gear struck the top of a 4 strand barbed wire fence at the end of the airstrip. The airplane decelerated and touched down in a muddy plowed field just north of the airstrip boundary. After rolling about 40 yards, the main landing gear tires sank in the soft ground, and the airplane nosed over. In a telephone interview after the accident, the pilot added that due to recent rains, the north-south grass airstrip was 'soggy and mushy,' but he thought the airplane would have had no problem clearing the marked 4 foot tall barbed wire fence at the departure end of the airstrip.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,290 as pilot in command; 525 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,689 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 1997; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,680 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DTN Denton TX at 11:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Observation at 11:53 pm from AFW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.