Amateur-built AA-1C accident near Montgomery City, Missouri, August 31, 1985
On August 31, 1985 at about 11:15 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-1C, registered N39061, was destroyed in an accident near Montgomery City, Missouri (Montgomer-Wehrmar airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. 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
- August 31, 1985 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Montgomery City, Missouri · Montgomer-Wehrmar · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-1C
- Registration
- N39061 · no longer on the register · serial AA-1C-0209
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
N39061 COLLIDED WITH TREES AT THE EDGE OF THE ARPT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A 2,380 FT LONG, TURF & GRAVEL RWY. THERE WAS ON 80' LEFT CROSSWIND AT 10 KTS AND THE DENSITY ALT WAS 3,000 FT. THE ARPT OPERATOR SAID THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AT A SLOWER THAN NORMAL SPEED AFTER A LONG TAKEOFF ROLL. AS THE ACFT APPROACHED THE TREES OFF THE END OF THE RWY, THE RT WING DROPPED. THE ACFT THEN HIT THE TREES AND FELL TO THE GROUND INVERTED. NNEITHER THE STUDENT PLT NOR HIS PASSENGER WERE INJURED.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 63 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 31 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,308 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 3, 1985; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MO50 Wentzville MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,380 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from COU, 40 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.