# Accident 19980507013549A: Piper PA23250, Fargo, GA, May 7, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 7, 1998, 18:40 local time
- Place: Fargo, GA
- Airport: Fargo Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.6797° N, 82.5592° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6797&lon=-82.5592&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4BN, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4BN-2013-08-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250
- Reported engine: LYC IO540C4B5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 3,500 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98FA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98FA155) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980507013549A

## Narrative

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

TRIED DEPART SHORT STRIP DOWNWIND. EARLY LIFTOFF. SETTLED. PROPS HITTING RUNWAY. CONTINUED. LIFTED. STRUCK TREES. (.4)WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE START ITS TAKEOFF ROLL ON A HEADING  OF 150 DEGREES, ON A GRASS RUNWAY  2,200 FEET LONG.  ABOUT 800 FEET FROM THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE ABOUT 8 FEET OFF THE GROUND, THEN WENT NOSE AND LEFT WING LOW INTO THE RUNWAY WHERE THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE GRASS SURFACE.  TWENTY PROPELLER SLASH MARKS WERE FOUND IN THE GRASS SURFACE AT THE POINT IN THE RUNWAY WERE THE WITNESSES SAW THE PROPELLER STRIKE THE GROUND.  THE AIRPLANE THEN TOOK OFF, CLIMBED ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, TURNED LEFT, STRUCK TREES, IMPACTED THE GROUND AND CAUGHT FIRE.  ACCORDING TO A WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE HAD TAXIED TO THE TAKEOFF POINT AND THE PILOT DID AN ENGINE RUN UP.  AT THIS POINT THE WITNESS SAID, '...[THE] AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE SEEMED TO SPUTTER (ONE), HE TOOK OFF FROM THE [NORTH] END.  THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF, BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO CLIMB.  THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK DOWN, PROPELLER STARTED HITTING [THE] GROUND, THEN AIRCRAFT GOT AIRBORNE AGAIN, MADE IT OVER OAK TREE (NOTE CROSS WIND FROM PILOT'S R                                    IGHT SIDE). STRUCK PINE TREE AND [I] SAW FIRE BALL.'  WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE WINDS AS GUSTY AND A DIRECT CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT SIDE, WITH OCCASIONAL SHIFTS IN THE WIND FROM THE NORTHWEST.  THE REPORTED WINDS 40 MILES WEST OF THE CRASH SITE WERE: WINDS FROM 220 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS.  BOTH ENGINES WERE PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND.  EXAMINATION OF RUNWAY 15 REVEALED 20 PROPELLER SLASH MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, ON A HEADING OF 150 DEGREES, AND WERE MEASURED AT A TOTAL DISTANCE OF 453 FEET, 3 INCHES.  THE DISTANCES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SLASH MARKS WAS 2 FEET.  THE DISTANCES BETWEEN LAST TWO SLASH MARKS WAS 61 FEET.  IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GROUND SPEED OF THE AIRPLANE BETWEEN THE FIRST SLASH MARK AND THE SECOND SLASH MARK WAS 101.9.                                                                   (-23)PILOT ATTEMPTED TAKE OFF AND CRASHED INTO TREES.  AIRCRAFT BURNED AFTER IMPACT.

## 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 MIA98FA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98FA155), May 7, 1998: Piper PA-23-250 (N4BN), Fargo, GA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the left engine propeller blades struck the runway surface during takeoff, resulting in the pilot losing control of the airplane, and subsequently impacting with trees.

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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