Piper PA-28-181 accident near Rolling Fork, Mississippi, October 5, 1990
On October 5, 1990 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8634C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rolling Fork, Mississippi (Nick'S Flying Service airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN WINGTIP CLEARANCE WITH TALL GRASS AT THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY DURING THE GROUND ROLL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1990 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rolling Fork, Mississippi · Nick'S Flying Service
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8634C · no longer on the register · serial 28-7690154
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT A PVT ARPT. THE PLT STATED THAT HE ELECTED TO TAKEOFF ON THE GRASS NEXT TO THE CONCRETE/ASPHALT RWY BECAUSE THERE WAS A SHARP EDGE AT THE BEGINNING OF IT & THE RWY CONTAINED RUTS & LOOSE SAND PILES. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE OBSERVED A HIGH ROW OF WEEDS NEXT TO THE GRASS BUT DID NOT OBSERVE A DITCH NEXT TO THE TALL WEEDS. AFTER APPLYING POWER HE RELEASED THE BRAKES & WHILE PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURE, FELT THE ACFT PULL TO THE RT. HE APPLIED LT RUDDER TO CORRECT THEN ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE ACFT VEERED TO THE RT & TRAVELLED INTO A DITCH. THE OCCUPANTS ESCAPED UNHARMED. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE ARPT, THE RWY DID NOT CONTAIN RUTS AS DESCRIBED BY THE PLT BUT THE GRASS EXTENSION BEFORE THE RWY WAS SOFT.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,791 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 77 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 1,605 as pilot in command; 725 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,599 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 1990; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LWV Lawrenceville IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 3,400 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from GLH, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.