Fairchild 24R-40 accident near Custar, Ohio, October 26, 2004
On October 26, 2004 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Fairchild 24R-40, registered N28539, was substantially damaged in an accident near Custar, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with terrain. A factor was a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2004 · about 5:55 pm local time · cases in 2004
- Place
- Custar, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild 24R-40 · all 24R-40s on the register
- Registration
- N28539 · no longer on the register · serial R40-418
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had his airman and mechanic certificates revoked by the FAA about 2 years prior to the accident. He intended to sell the airplane, and was in the process of reinstalling the original engine, and bringing the airplane up to specifications. On the day of the accident, the pilot started the engine and attempted to depart on runway 18, an approximate 1,100-foot long, 25-foot wide, turf runway. A witness could not see the airplane as it passed behind a barn, but then saw it resting on its right side, off the right side of the runway. The reported wind about the time of the accident, was from 100 degrees at 8 knots. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions.
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
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Fairchild 6-440 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Custar OH at 5:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,100 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from TOL, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N28539: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Fairchild 24 242 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Fairchild 616 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Fairchild 6-440 292 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Ohio 1,884 since 1982 · 253 in the last ten years
- Ohio 8,531 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/NYC05LA010.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.