# Incident 19980310002989I: Piper PA28181, Defiance, MO, March 10, 1998 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 10, 1998, 13:40 local time - Place: Defiance, MO - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.6328° N, 90.7846° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Defiance, MO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6328&lon=-90.7846&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2331M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2331M) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181 - Reported engine: LYC O360* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 730 total, 600 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980310002989I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NARRATIVE: ON 03/07/98 PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA ^ DEPARTED FROM (CPS) CAHOKIA, IL ENROUTE TO MCI FLYING IFR UNDER IMC CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND THE PILOT REQUESTED TO DIVERT TO (SUS) CHESTERFIELD, MO. WHILE ENROUTE TO SUS THE AIRCRAFT LOST ELECTRICAL POWER. THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE WOULD TRY TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT ^PRIVACY^ LANDED THE AIRCRAFT (REGISTRATION #N2331M) ON DARST ROAD (1 MILE EAST OF DEFIANCE, MO) APPROXIMATELY 5-7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF (SUS). AFTER LANDING PILOT ^PRIVACY^ CONTACTED FSS AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS NOT INJURED AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED. THIS REPORT WAS CLOSED AS AN OCCURRENCE AFTER INVESTIGATION BY FAA INSPECTOR ON 3/10/98. MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT WILL FOLLOW. ON 3-10-98 PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA ^ REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A FERRY FLIGHT PERMIT FOR MAINTENANCE WITH A TEN DAY DURATION TIME FROM DARST ROAD TO SUS FOR MAINTENANCE DUE TO OCCURRENCE ON 03-07-98. PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ROAD WAS WET WITH STANDING WATER AND THERE WAS A CROSS WIND. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES WERE TAKEN FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PILOT TO CLEAR THE GRAVEL/DIRT ROAD WITH A PLOW. THIS MEASURE WAS TAKEN BY EXECUTIVE BEECHCRAFT STL INC. PILOT^PRIVACY^DID NOT FEEL THE CLEARING OF THE ROAD WAS NECESSARY. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS A CROSS WIND THAT COULD AFFECT THE ATTEMPT TO TAKE-OFF. PILOT ^PRIVACY^ INSISTED ON PERFORMING THE FERRY FLIGHT AT THIS TIME UNDER THE CONDITIONS STATED. PILOT ^PRIVACY^ CONTACTED ST. CHARLES COUNTY POLICE TO BLOCK THE ROADS PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF AS INSTRUCTED BY FAA INSPECTORS. PILOT ^PRIVACY^ DID DEVELOP AND DISCUSS WITH FAA INSPECTORS A PERFORMANCE PLAN FOR TAKE-OFF AT THE INSPECTOR'S REQUEST. ON TAKE-OFF ROLL THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OFF CENTER OF THE ROAD AND THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL SUNK IN THE SOFT DIRT WHICH PULLED THE AIRCRAFT FURTHER TO THE LEFT. AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE ROAD, THE OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING STRUC K THE GROUND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE AND RIGHT WING TIP. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE SOFT DIRT AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED 90 DEGREES OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER NOR WAS THERE SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF THE ENGINE. PILOT ^PRIVACY^ WAS NOT INJURED. THE NOSE GEAR FORK ASSEMBLY WAS BENT. PILOT ^PRIVACY^ DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH WITH HIS TAKE-OFF PERFORMANCE PLAN WHICH HE DISCUSSED WITH FAA INSPECTORS. AFTER A TEAR DOWN INSPECTION WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY THUNDER AVIATION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS BENT. IT WAS ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OF THE RIGHT WING WAS CONFINED TO THE SKINS AND THE NUMBER 1 OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE RIB OF THE RIGHT WING TIP. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE PILOT INDUCED DUE TO THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON CENTER OF THE ROAD FOR THE SOFT FIELD TAKE-OFF. ALSO THE EAGERNESS OF THE PILOT TO TAKE-OFF WITHOUT WANTING TO WAIT ON BETTER FLYING CONDITIONS WHICH PUT HIS LIFE IN DANGER TWICE WITHIN THREE DAYS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INCIDENT CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT. ## Other reports on N2331M (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19940525012529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940525012529A), May 25, 1994: Piper PA28181 (N2331M), Weeping Water, NE, Substantial damage. Landed long on short strip. Overran end of runway. Went down embankment. Wind extremely variable. 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.