Accident Piper PA-22-135 N3645A,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35333
 
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Date:Saturday 9 July 1994
Time:13:20
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA22 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-22-135
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N3645A
MSN: 22-1905
Total airframe hrs:3700 hours
Engine model:LYCOMING O-290-D2
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Lake Wenatchee State Airport (WA32), WA -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Lake Wenatchee State Airport, WA (WA32)
Destination airport:Harvey Field, WA (S43)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
On July 9, 1994, approximately 1320 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Piper PA-22-135, N3645A, impacted trees off the departure end of runway 27 while attempting a takeoff from Lake Wenatchee State Airport, Leavenworth, Washington. The private pilot and her two passengers received fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The personal pleasure flight, which was operating in visual meteorological conditions, was in the process of departing for Harvey Field, Snohomish, Washington. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.

THE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF FROM A ROUGH TURF AIRSTRIP THAT WAS 2400' IN LENGTH. THE RUNWAY HAD AREAS OF SOFT DIRT INTERSPERSED WITH AREAS OF GRASS THAT RANGED FROM 1 TO 8 INCHES IN HEIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE TREES WERE ABOUT 75' TALL; IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 50' ABOVE THE GROUND. CALCULATIONS SHOWED THAT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 4700', AND THAT WITH THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS, ABOUT 2213' TO 2616' OF RUNWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN NEEDED FOR THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, THE RUNWAY CONDITION (WITH AREAS OF SOFT OR UNEVEN TERRAIN AND TALL GRASS), AND OBSTRUCTIONS (TREES) NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: SEA94FA174
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 3 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001206X01861

Images:


Photo: NTSB

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
12-Oct-2022 03:39 Captain Adam Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Category, Accident report, Photo]

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