Piper PA-22-135 accident near Mead, Washington, August 22, 1991
On August 22, 1991 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-135, registered N3781A, was destroyed in an accident near Mead, Washington (Mead airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT, AND THE PILOT'S DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AND UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDIITON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 1991 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mead, Washington · Mead · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-135 · all PA-22-135s on the register
- Registration
- N3781A · no longer on the register · serial 22-2023
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF ON A HOT DAY WITH UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS, THE ACFT WAS LOADED AT NEAR MAX GROSS TAKEOFF WT. WHEN THE ACFT REACHED TAKEOFF SPEED, THE PILOT APPLIED FLAPS AND ROTATED, BUT THE ACFT WOULD NOT FLY. HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF TOO LATE TO STOP ON THE RUNWAY. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED TERRAIN.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,723 hours in all; 364 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,685 as pilot in command; 157 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,550 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from SFF, 7 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.