19990919045079A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Etna, AR · September 19, 1999

Date: September 19, 1999 · 12:15 local
Place: Etna, AR
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N469RA
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW99LA263
Reported as: Piper PA38112

N469RARegistered now · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-78A0531 · Built 1978 Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23)On September 19, 1999, at 1215 CDT, a PA-38-112, N469RA, struck a fence and trees during an aborted takeoff from a private grass airstrip near ratcliff, Arkansas. The pilot stated that he began a takeoff roll on 2,300' grass runway which was still damp from dew, with areas of tall grass. The private pilot thought that the airplane was not gaining adequate speed to accomplish a takeoff in time to clear trees at the departure end, so he elected to abort the takeoff, the aircraft slid into a barbed wire fence, a metal fence post, and tree beyond the end of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1999, AT 1215 CDT, A PA-38-112, N469RA, STRUCK A FENCE AND TREES DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP NEAR RATCLIFF, ARKANSAS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BEGAN A TAKEOFF ROLL ON 2,300' GRASS RUNWAY WHICH WAS STILL DAMP FROM DEW, WITH AREAS OF TALL GRASS. THE PRIVATE PILOT THOUGHT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT GAINING ADEQUATE SPEED TO ACCOMPLISH A TAKEOFF IN TIME TO CLEAR TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END, SO HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO A BARBED WIRE FENCE, A METAL FENCE POST, AND TREE BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW99LA263Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOzark, ARThe pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted in a runway overrun. A factor was the wet grass runway.Sep 19, 1999 · Substantial damage