# Accident 19970628046289A: Piper PA28161, Block Island, RI, June 28, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 28, 1997, 20:00 local time - Place: Block Island, RI - Airport: Block Island State - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.1681° N, 71.5778° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BLOCK ISLAND STATE (BID), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1681&lon=-71.5778&mi=10 - Aircraft: N80964, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N80964) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161 - Reported engine: LYC O320D3G - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 162 total, 31 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD97LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD97LA094) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970628046289A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON JUNE 28, 1997 AT APPROXIMATELY 1930-2000 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, PIPER, PA-28-161, N80964, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE PRIVATE PILOT ABORTED TAKEOFF AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 28, DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND IMPACTED A CHAIN LINK FENCE AT BLOCK ISLAND STATE AIRPORT, BLOCK ISLAND, RHODE ISLAND. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE UNHURT, ONE PASSENGER RECIEVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO THREE WING AIRCRAFT SALES, INC. IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. THE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BASED AND HAD DEPARTED FROM EARLIER THAT DAY. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING DEPARTED BRIDGEPORT WITH FULL FUEL AND DID NOT OBTAIN ANY MORE FUEL AT BLOCK ISLAND. SEE PTRS #IAD97LA094. (.4) ON JUNE 28, 1997, ABOUT 2000 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N80964, WAS DESTROYED AS IT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF AT THE BLOCK ISLAND SATE AIRPORT (BID), BLOCK ISLAND, RHODE ISLAND. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. A SECOND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED SIKORSKY MEMORIAL AIRPORT (BDR), BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, WITH FULL TANKS, AND AFTER LANDING AT BID, DID NOT RECEIVE ANY SERVICES. AFTER COMPLETING ALL PRE-FLIGHT AND PRE-TAKEOFF ITEMS ON THE CHECKLIST, THE PILOT ELECTED TO PERFORM A NO FLAP TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED TO 65 KNOTS AND "I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND THE PLANE WOULDN'T TAKE OFF." THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF BY "PULLING THE THROTTLE TO THE CLOSED POSITION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING THE BRAKES." THE AIRPLANE ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, AND STRUCK A CHAIN LINK FENCE WHERE IT CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR AND A RHODE ISLAND AIRPORTS CORPORATION INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE ON JUNE 29, 1997. THEY REPORTED THAT FAINT TRACES OF RUBBER WERE FOUND ON THE RUNWAY THAT CORRESPONDED TO THE WHEEL MARKS IN THE GRASS WHICH LEAD TO THE AIRPLANE. THE MARKS IN THE GRASS DID NOT SHOW SIGNS OF TEARING OR FURROWING CONSISTENT WITH HEAVY BREAKING OR SKIDDING OF TIRES. NO MALFUNCTION ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR THE ENGINE. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AT THE FORWARD ATTACHING POINT WITH THE MAIN WING SPAR CRACKED, BUT WAS STILL ATTACHED. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS COMPROMISED, AND THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK APPEARED TO BE FULL. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM INDICATOR WAS SET IN APPROXIMATELY A 3/4 NOSE DOWN POSITION. A PIPER PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK INDICATED THAT A NORMAL TAKE-OFF ELEVATOR TRIM WOULD BE NEUTRAL OR SLIGHTLY AFT OF NEUTRAL (NOSE UP) SETTING. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB IAD97LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD97LA094), Jun 29, 1997: Piper PA-28-161 (N80964), Block Island, RI, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to comply with the airplane's takeoff checklist and his delayed decision to abort the takeoff. ## Other reports on N80964 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20070123000789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070123000789I), Jan 23, 2007: Piper PA28161 (N80964), Westerly, RI, Minor damage. (-23) Student pilot on first solo cross country flight went off r/w 07 at (wst) Westerly RI at 1110EST. Left cross wind from 340/12 KTS. R/w wet with patchy… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.