# Accident 19980322004059A: Piper PA38112, Tampa, FL, March 22, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 22, 1998, 16:50 local time
- Place: Tampa, FL
- Airport: Peter O Knight Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.9494° N, 82.4805° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9494&lon=-82.4805&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2321D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2321D-1998-04-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 38 total, 27 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA103](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA103) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980322004059A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON MARCH 22 ,1998, ABOUT 1650 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-38-112, N2321D, REGISTERED TO TAMPA FLYING SERVICE, INC. CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF AT THE PETER O. KNIGHT AIRPORT, TAMPA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTIANED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDETN. THE PILOT STATED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT HE INITIATED A TAKEOFF FRON RUNWAY 35 WITH THE WIND FROM 310 DEGREES AT 7-10 KNOTS. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDED WITH A HANGAR ABOUT 25 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS WHO WAS NEAR THE AIRPORT, HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB. DURING THAT TIME THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT BANK OF ABOUT 25-30 DEGREES WITH THE NOSE UP ATTITUDE INCREASING. HE THEN LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AND NOTED THE DAMAGE TO THE TOP PORTION OF THE HANGAR. (-23) ON TAKEOFF FROM PETER O'KNIGHT (TPF) AIRPORT'S RUNWAY 36, THE STUDENT                                                           PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CENTERLINE CONTROL ALLEGEDLY DUE TO CROSSWINDS. THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO CRAB OR VEER TOO FAR TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY, STRIKING THE SIDE OF A HANGAR'S (D) ROOFLINE AND RESTING ONTO THE SIDE OF THE HANGAR. THE HANGAR IS APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET DOWN FROM RUNWAY 35'S DEPARTURE AND 250 FEET OFFSET TO THE LEFT. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE PILOT EGRESSED DESPITE SERIOUS INJURY. RECOMMEND THE STUDENT PILOT RECEIVE FURTHER TRAINING PRIOR TO SOLO FLIGHT AND HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR BE EXAMINED.

## 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 MIA98LA103](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA103), Mar 22, 1998: Piper PA-38-112 (N2321D), Tampa, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane and proper runway alignment, which result in an in-flight collision with a hangar.

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.

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