Accident Piper PA-36-375 N1057E,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 290826
 
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Date:Wednesday 9 September 2015
Time:18:30 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA36 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-36-375
Owner/operator:Stove Creek Air, LLC
Registration: N1057E
MSN: 36-7902012
Year of manufacture:1979
Total airframe hrs:4900 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-720-D1CD
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Elmwood, Nebraska -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Agricultural
Departure airport:Elmwood, NE (KPVT)
Destination airport:Elmwood, NE (KPVT)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot reported that, before the accident flight, the agricultural application airplane was loaded with 1,500 lbs of seed and 40 gallons of aviation fuel. He reported that there were no anomalies with the airplane during the five previous flights that day or the before-takeoff engine run-up. The accident takeoff was made from a private airstrip toward the south with the flaps partially extended. After applying full engine power, the pilot released the brakes, and the airplane accelerated down the runway. The airplane's tail became airborne about three-quarters down the runway at 75 mph. Although the airplane became airborne before reaching the end of the runway, it was unable to gain additional airspeed or achieve a positive climb rate. The airplane remained in ground effect as it crossed over the runway departure threshold, but it subsequently settled into a corn crop about 1/4 mile past the end of the runway. The pilot stated that he believed that the accident could have been prevented if he had reduced the payload weight for the accident flight.

The pilot reported that, at the time of the accident takeoff, the airplane weighed about 4,500 lbs, which was about 300 lbs below the airplane's maximum gross weight. According to local weather reports, the wind was light and variable at the time of the accident. Performance calculations revealed that, during takeoff at 4,500 lbs with the flaps fully retracted, with no headwind, and from a level hard-surface runway, the airplane would have required about 1,750 ft of runway to achieve liftoff and about 2,650 ft to clear a 50-ft obstacle. The north-south turf runway was 2,600 ft long. The Pilot's Operating Handbook did not provide takeoff performance data for operations from a grass/turf runway or with flaps extended. According to the available performance data, the airplane would likely have required additional runway length to achieve a normal takeoff and positive climb rate after liftoff.

Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to take off with the airplane near its maximum gross weight from a runway that did not have sufficient length for the airplane to achieve a normal takeoff and positive climb rate after liftoff.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN15LA405
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 3 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CEN15LA405

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
07-Oct-2022 05:56 ASN Update Bot Added

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