Embraer EMB-135 incident near Moses Lake, Washington, July 30, 1998
On July 30, 1998 at about 2:45 am local time, a Embraer EMB-135, registered PTZJA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Moses Lake, Washington (Grant County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
Aircraft control was not maintained.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1998 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Moses Lake, Washington · Grant County · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB-135 · all EMB-135s on the register
- Registration
- PTZJA · no longer on the register · serial 145801
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after liftoff during a minimum unstick speed flight test, a 'maximum angle of attack overshoot occurred.' The pilot stated that during the recovery process, the aircraft touched down and veered to the left. The pilot corrected with a right bank. During the banking turn, the right wingtip and aileron dragged on the runway surface and the left main landing gear struck two runway edge lighting signs. The aircraft became airborne again at a lower angle of attack and continued to climb. The aircraft then returned for landing without further incident. During the recovery maneuver, an emergency vehicle that was positioned near the runway and supporting the flight test, took evasive action to avoid a collision when the aircraft came within 50 feet of its position.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 126 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 8,300 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,326 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 24, 1998; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 41,800 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison AE 3007A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32R, 13,502 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 am from MWH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under PTZJA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.