What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Hot day near gross no flaps collided with trees on climbout. Pilot rated passenger flying. (.4)the pilot rated passenger (prp) seated in the left front seat, stated that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize him with instrument flight rules operations. The prp stated that they back taxied as runway 6 was short and there were trees at the departure end of the runway. The prp said they did not use any flaps for takeoff. The climb airspeed was 70 miles per hour and the instructor took over the controls and performed, '...what I thought was a maximum climb takeoff... .' He also said that he felt the airplane sink after they were over the trees. The passenger said that the right wing clipped a tree and propelled the plane into a downward spiral. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe did not disclose any structural or mechanical anomalies. Toxicological tests of the instructor revealed 0.004 ug/ml tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marihuana) detected in the lung fluid, and 0.046 ug/ml tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marihuana) detected in the urine. (-23) on may 17, 1998, at 1416 EDT, N4537R, a PA-28-140 was destroyed and consumed by fire after it collided with trees after takeoff from Potomac Airfield Airport, runway 6, fort Washington, MD. VMC prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91 and the intended destination was annapolis, MD. The CFI was fatally injured, the pilot rated passenger (prp), in front left seat sustained minor injuries, and the passenger, seated right rear was seriously injured. The prp stated "no flaps were used, everyone knows they are not needed in a cherokee." He also stated "we were taking off as normal, a/s was fine, instruments ok. Suddenly we felt the plane drop." The passenger stated, "we felt like we were not climbing fast enough and we began to hit the trees." Examination of aircraft wreckage and accident site revealed tree impact marks on the right wings leading edge similar to size and shape of branches of 75 foot high trees. The airplane wreckage came to rest, 1 mile beyond runway 6, orientated on a 180 degree magnetic heading. The right wing was separated, and the forward section of the airplane was destroyed by fire. The weather at the time of the accident was reported by andrew afb (adw) to be 90 degrees f; dewpoint 68 degrees f, wind 010 degrees at 9 KTS. Aircraft was fueled to 36 gallons prior to accident. Preliminary examination of the wreckage did not disclose any mechanical malfunction with engine or the airplane. Pilot in command was qualified for the flight. This report is closed.
As the FAA filed it
HOT DAY NEAR GROSS NO FLAPS COLLIDED WITH TREES ON CLIMBOUT. PILOT RATED PASSENGER FLYING. (.4)THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER (PRP) SEATED IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT, STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO FAMILIARIZE HIM WITH INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES OPERATIONS. THE PRP STATED THAT THEY BACK TAXIED AS RUNWAY 6 WAS SHORT AND THERE WERE TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PRP SAID THEY DID NOT USE ANY FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF. THE CLIMB AIRSPEED WAS 70 MILES PER HOUR AND THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND PERFORMED, '...WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A MAXIMUM CLIMB TAKEOFF... .' HE ALSO SAID THAT HE FELT THE AIRPLANE SINK AFTER THEY WERE OVER THE TREES. THE PASSENGER SAID THAT THE RIGHT WING CLIPPED A TREE AND PROPELLED THE PLANE INTO A DOWNWARD SPIRAL. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL ANOMALIES. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS OF THE INSTRUCTOR REVEALED 0.004 UG/ML TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID (MARIHUANA) DETECTED IN THE LUNG FLUID, AND 0.046 UG/ML TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID (MARIHUANA) DETECTED IN THE URINE. (-23) ON MAY 17, 1998, AT 1416 EDT, N4537R, A PA-28-140 WAS DESTROYED AND CONSUMED BY FIRE AFTER IT COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER TAKEOFF FROM POTOMAC AIRFIELD AIRPORT, RUNWAY 6, FORT WASHINGTON, MD. VMC PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS ANNAPOLIS, MD. THE CFI WAS FATALLY INJURED, THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER (PRP), IN FRONT LEFT SEAT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER, SEATED RIGHT REAR WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PRP STATED "NO FLAPS WERE USED, EVERYONE KNOWS THEY ARE NOT NEEDED IN A CHEROKEE." HE ALSO STATED "WE WERE TAKING OFF AS NORMAL, A/S WAS FINE, INSTRUMENTS OK. SUDDENLY WE FELT THE PLANE DROP." THE PASSENGER STATED, "WE FELT LIKE WE WERE NOT CLIMBING FAST ENOUGH AND WE BEGAN TO HIT THE TREES." EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE AND ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED TREE IMPACT MARKS ON THE RIGHT WINGS LEADING EDGE SIMILAR TO SIZE AND SHAPE OF BRANCHES OF 75 FOOT HIGH TREES. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST, 1 MILE BEYOND RUNWAY 6, ORIENTATED ON A 180 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEPARATED, AND THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED BY ANDREW AFB (ADW) TO BE 90 DEGREES F; DEWPOINT 68 DEGREES F, WIND 010 DEGREES AT 9 KTS. AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED TO 36 GALLONS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH ENGINE OR THE AIRPLANE. PILOT IN COMMAND WAS QUALIFIED FOR THE FLIGHT. THIS REPORT IS CLOSED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.