19960814022599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Fairbury, NE · August 14, 1996

Date: August 14, 1996 · 19:45 local
Place: Fairbury, NE
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2538N
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96LA298
Reported as: Piper PA38112
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,950 total4,700 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days

N2538NRegistration cancelled Mar 11, 2013 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-79A0907 · Built 1979 Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

(.4)The student pilot landed the airplane in a farm field after becoming disoriented and low on fuel. The student called his instructor who flew to a nearby airport. The student and instructor purchased fuel, refueled the airplane and attempted to takeoff from the rough farm field. They reported that when the airplane crossed over a ditch at the end of the field, the airplane settled, impacted the terrain and nosed over. The instructor stated he did not walk the field to check its condition prior to the takeoff.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE STUDENT PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A FARM FIELD AFTER BECOMING DISORIENTED AND LOW ON FUEL. THE STUDENT CALLED HIS INSTRUCTOR WHO FLEW TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR PURCHASED FUEL, REFUELED THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE ROUGH FARM FIELD. THEY REPORTED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE CROSSED OVER A DITCH AT THE END OF THE FIELD, THE AIRPLANE SETTLED, IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AND NOSED OVER. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED HE DID NOT WALK THE FIELD TO CHECK ITS CONDITION PRIOR TO THE TAKEOFF.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CHI96LA298Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFairbury, NEinadequate airspeed and an inadvertant stall during the initial takeoff climb. Factors associated with the accident were the rough terrain used for takeoff and the ditch at the departure end on the field.Aug 15, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2538N · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19800318040399ILevel Off Touchdown · Des Moines, IAWind gust caused momentary loss of control on final approach. Aircraft went off side of runway.Mar 18, 1980 · Minor damage