19850513016409A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-36-285 · Rapelje, MT · May 13, 1985

Date
May 13, 1985 · 15:15 local
Place
Rapelje, MT
Airport
Top Hand
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N44260
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN85LA133
Reported as
Piper PA36285
Reported engine
Lycoming IO720A1B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,881 total500 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

After takeoff at 60 feet, aircraft settled into creekbed as airspeed decreased. Probable early liftoff.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER TAKEOFF AT 60 FEET, AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO CREEKBED AS AIRSPEED DECREASED. PROBABLE EARLY LIFTOFF.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.