# Accident 19990314002219A: Piper PA28180, Truckee, CA, March 14, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 14, 1999, 17:03 local time - Place: Truckee, CA - Airport: Truckee-Tahoe Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.3307° N, 120.2410° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.3307&lon=-120.2410&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4796L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4796L-1999-11-10) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180 - Reported engine: LYC O360A3A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 200 total, 22 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA120) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990314002219A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON MARCH 14, 1999, AT 1703 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N4796L, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND NEAR THE TRUCKEE-TAHOE AIRPORT, TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY EMPIRE AERO CLUB OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES; TWO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PILOT AND HIS FAMILY WERE ON A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT THE TRUCKEE-TAHOE AIRPORT WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF SANTA ROSA. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE FLIGHT, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPORT WAS REPORTING THE WINDS WERE FROM 240 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS GUSTING TO 19 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT TOLD THE SAFETY BOARD THAT "THE AIRCRAFT SURPRISED ME BY LIFTING OFF SOONER THAN EXPECTED." AN OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR AT THE AIRPORT TOLD THE SAFETY BOARD THAT THE AIRPLANE STALLED ON TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 28 AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. (.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS FAMILY WERE PLANNING ON DEPARTING THE AIRPORT, WHICH HAD A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 6,400 FEET MSL. THE AIRPORT WAS REPORTING THAT THE WINDS WERE FROM 240 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS GUSTING TO 19 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE DEPARTURE ON RUNWAY 28. EYEWITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT SAID THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE SLOW AND NOT CLIMBING IN A VERY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AFTER LIFTOFF. ADDITIONALLY, THE EYEWITNESSES ALL STATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE STALLED WITH THE WINGS WAVERING SIDE TO SIDE, BEFORE THE LEFT WING DROPPED RIGHT BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF APPROXIMATELY 2/10 MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, IF THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF WITH ZERO FLAPS AND FULL POWER AT 85 KNOTS, THE AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE CLIMBED OUT AT A 450-FOOT-PER-MINUTE RATE OF CLIMB. THE PILOT ESTIMATED HIS AIRSPEED AT 70 KNOTS WHEN HE LIFTED THE AIRPLANE OFF THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND AN ENGINE EXAMINATION AND OPERATIONAL CHECK WAS CONDUCTED. MAGNETO TO ENGINE TIMING WAS CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE WIT HIN MANUFACTURER'S LIMITS. ADDITIONALLY, THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE OBSERVED TO OPERATE TO THEIR FULL TRAVEL LIMITS, AND CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE COCKPIT. THE ENGINE WAS RUN-UP TO FULL THROTTLE WITH NO ABNORMAL CONDITION NOTED. (-23) NARRATIVE LAX99LA120 ## 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 LAX99LA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA120), Mar 15, 1999: Piper PA-28-180 (N4796L), Truckee, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to obtain and maintain the proper climb airspeed during the initial takeoff climb, including his failure to anticipate the gust factor and density altitude effects in determining… ## Other reports on N4796L (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19911102055829I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911102055829I), Nov 2, 1991: Piper PA28180 (N4796L), Salmon Creek, CA. Pilot landed off airport due to broken mixture control. 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.