Embraer ERJ-135 incident near Moses Lake, Washington, August 24, 1999
On August 24, 1999 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Embraer ERJ-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
Minimum aircraft control exceeded during takeoff test flight, which resulted in dragging a wing on the runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1999 · about 5:10 pm 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 ERJ-135
- 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 during a minimum unstick speed determination test flight, the aircraft lifted off to about five feet and, just prior to achieving aileron effectiveness, the aircraft rolled to the left. The left wing dropped and contacted the runway surface, resulting in minor damage to the wingtip and outboard trailing edge of the aileron. The pilot continued the takeoff and returned for landing without further incident.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 45,000 lb
- Seats: 39
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce A3007 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWH at 5:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32R, 13,502 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.