# Accident 19981219041909A: Piper PA24250, St Petersburg-C, FL, December 19, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 19, 1998, 17:14 local time - Place: St Petersburg-C, FL - Airport: St Petersburg-Clearwater International - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.9004° N, 82.6805° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9004&lon=-82.6805&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5836P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5836P) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250 - Reported engine: LYC O540A1A5 - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,090 total, 10 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA052) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981219041909A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, ABOUT 1714 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-24, N5836P, REISTERED TO CROSS WINDS AVIATION, INC., EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, WITH A CFI SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. DURING THE FIRST TAKEOFF WHILE PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE THEN BEGAN VEERING TO THE RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON GRASS OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. (.4) ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, ABOUT 1714 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-24-250, N5836P, REGISTERED TO CROSS WINDS AVIATION, INC., EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS 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 CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), PRIVATE-RATED STUDENT, AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE STUDENT TO PRACTICE SOFT FIELD TAKEOFFS BECAUSE HE HAD FAILED THE SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURE DURING HIS COMMERCIAL CHECKRIDE 3 DAYS EARLIER. THE CFI STATED THAT THE STUDENT HAD THE TENDENCY WHILE PRACTICING SOFT FIELD TAKEOFFS PREVIOUSLY TO NOT APPLY ENOUGH RIGHT RUDDER AFTER THE NOSE WHEEL LEFT THE GROUND RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY AND AFTER BEING CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, POWER WAS APPLIED AND THE STUDENT INITIATED A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURE. AFTER THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CAME OFF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AND THE CFI ADVISED THE STUDENT TO APPLY "A LOT MORE RIGHT RUDDER!" THE CFI STATED THAT THE STUDENT APPLIED "WAY TOO MUCH" RIGHT RUDDER AND WHILE FLYING IN GROUND EFFECT, THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING IN A CROSS CONTROL CONDITION WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND LEFT AILERON INPUTS APPLIED. THE CFI ADVISED THE STUDENT TO REMOVE THE RIGHT RUDDER INPUT AND HE CORRECTED WITH LEFT RUDDER AND REMOVED THE LEFT AILERON INPUT. THE CFI REPORTED THAT WHILE IN A CROSS CONTROLLED POWER-ON STALLED CONDITION, THE LEFT WINGTIP CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRPLANE THEN TRAVELED OFF THE RUNWAY ONTO GRASS AND CAME TO REST WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE CFI STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION SOONER. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE THREADED PORTION OF THE ROD END FOR THE EXTENSION/RETRACT ROD WAS BENT AND BROKEN. (-23) WHILE PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF, PIC LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND OVER CORRECTED HIS ATTITUDE CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TIP TO HIT-THEN CORRECTING WITH LEFT AILERON CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO IMPACT THE RUNWAY-SPAR FAILED AS EVIDENT BY 1. SEVERELY WRINKLED SKIN LE TO T, 2. POPPER RIVETS, 3. DEEP CREASES, 4. CRACKED TE SPAR. ## 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 MIA99LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA052), Dec 19, 1998: Piper PA-24-250 (N5836P), Clearwater, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The delay by the pilot-in-command (CFI) to take control of the airplane and inadvertent stall/mush resulting in the uncontrolled descent and impact with the runway. ## Other reports on N5836P (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20160823023879I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160823023879I), Aug 23, 2016: Piper PA-24-250 (N5836P), Nashville, TN, Minor damage. The pilot had flown out of kjwn, john c. tune airport. He discovered a gear unsafe condition before landing at john c. tune. He used the aircraft manual… - [Accident 19850419065369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850419065369A), Apr 19, 1985: Piper PA24250 (N5836P), Fellsmere, FL, Substantial damage. During preflight, remaining fuel was determined by dipping twig in tank. Guessed wrong and ran out of fuel. 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.