Teratorn Aircraft, Inc. II accident near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, July 8, 1984
On July 8, 1984, a Teratorn Aircraft, Inc. II, registered N4475V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brownsville, Pennsylvania. 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 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
- July 8, 1984
- Place
- Brownsville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Teratorn Aircraft, Inc. II
- Registration
- N4475V · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE OWNER/PLT HAD PREVIOUS FLOWN THE HOME BUILT ACFT WHICH WAS CONSTRUCTED SIMILAR TO AN ULTRALIGHT. AN OPTIONAL PILOT ENCLOSURE (CANVAS COVERING OVER THE PLT COMPARTMENT) HAD JUST BEEN INSTALLED. ON 7/7/84, THE OWNER/PLT TAXI CHECKED THE ACFT FOR ABOUT 30 MIN, THEN ELECTED TO TAKEOFF. THE TAKEOFF AREA WAS ON ROLLING/HILLY TERRAIN WITH THE 1ST PART OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL PROCEEDING UPHILL. THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE, BUT ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE COULD NOT CLEAR TREES. HE MANEUVERED TO AVOID THE TREES, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED & CRASH LANDED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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
- Flight time: 965 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 415 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.