# Accident 19990805010829A: Piper PA28180, Geneva, WI, August 5, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 5, 1999, 14:05 local time - Place: Geneva, WI - Airport: Americana Airport,Lake - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 42.5797° N, 88.4208° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5797&lon=-88.4208&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4337X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4337X-1999-12-14) (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 O360* - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 198 total, 136 in this make and model, 19 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99FA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA276) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990805010829A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT WAS TAKING OFF WHEN IT VEERED RIGHT, STRUCK RWY LIGHTS AND TREES, STALLED, AND CARTWHEELED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON AUGUST 5,1999, AT 1415 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N4337X, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING AN IMPACT WITH TREES AND TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 23 (3,820 FEET BY 75 FEET, DRY/ASPHALT) AT THE GRAND GENEVA AIRPORT, LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND TWO PASSENGERS SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. ONE PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND HAD THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF DANE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, MADISON, WISCONSIN. ACCORDING TO A PASSENGER, LOCATED IN THE AFT-RIGHT SEAT, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) WAS ATTEMPTING A SIMULATED ZERO-VISIBILITY TAKEOFF AND DEPARTURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PIC WAS WEARING VISIBILITY REDUCING GOGGLES WHICH LIMITED THE PILOT'S VISION TO THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS. THE PIC HAD A DELEGATED SAFETY PILOT IN THE FORWARD-RI GHT SEAT. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE SAFETY PILOT ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS TAKING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE PIC RAISED HIS HANDS IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT. THE SAFETY PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF ROLL, OFF THE RUNWAY SURFACE, AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE, "...SLOWLY STARTED TO ASCEND AND WASN'T CLIMBING AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD HAVE...," AND THAT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE LINE THAT WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. A WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION, LOCATED 18 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED FEW CLOUDS AT 6,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), VISIBILITY OF 10 STATUTE MILES, BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 30.01 INCHES OF MERCURY, AND THE WINDS VARIABLE AT 4 KNOTS. (-23)SEE CHI99FA276 ## 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 CHI99FA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA276), Aug 5, 1999: Piper PA-28-180 (N4337X), Lake Geneva, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the aborted takeoff not performed by the safety-pilot and airspeed not obtained/maintained by the safety-pilot. Factors to the accident were directional control and runway alignment not maintained by… 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.