# Accident 20010413024259A: Piper PA28161, Culver, IN, April 13, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 13, 2001, 15:25 local time
- Place: Culver, IN
- Airport: Fleet Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.2098° N, 86.4196° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2098&lon=-86.4196&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3573S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3573S-2003-04-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320D3G
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,474 total, 1,254 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI01LA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA116) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010413024259A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4) THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES WHEN IT VEERED OFF RUNWAY 16 AFTER AN ABORTED TAKEOFF DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 5 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY BEFORE SETTLING BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND APPLIED MAXIMUM BRAKING BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP. HE THEN VEERED THE AIRPLANE OFF THE RUNWAY IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID RUNNING OFF A STEEP SLOPE AND A SWAMP LOCATED BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY. WINDS REPORTED AT A WEATHER STATION LOCATED 34 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT WERE 260 AT 7 KTS. THERE ARE SEVERAL FAA PUBLICATIONS WHICH ADDRESS SETTLING ONTO THE RUNWAY AFTER LIFTOFF IN REGARDS TO HIGH ROTATIONAL RATES, ROTATION SPEED, GROUND EFFECT, AND DOWNWIND TAKEOFFS. (.19) ON APRIL 13, 2001, AT 1625 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N3573S, OPERATED BY CULVER EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF WHEN IT VEERED OFF RUNWAY 34 (2,400 FEET BY 65 FEET, ASPHALT) AND CONTACTED TREES. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. THE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIO                                                          NAL FLIGHT WAS DEPARTING FLEET FIELD (IN73), CULVER, INDIANA, ON A LOCAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. (-23) INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ACCELERATING NORMALLY. AN ABORTED TAKEOFF WAS EXECUTED. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND CAME TO REST AND RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THAT IMPACT. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AS REPORTED BY THE INSTRUCTOR. TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY WERE BOTH HIGH THAT DAY. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE OPERATION REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES.

## 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 CHI01LA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA116), Apr 13, 2001: Piper PA-28-161 (N3573S), Culver, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the CFI delayed remedial action during the takeoff. Additional factors were the wrong runway was selected, the tailwind, and the trees.

## Other reports on N3573S (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940819022339I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940819022339I), Aug 19, 1994: Piper PA28161 (N3573S), Beloit, WI, Minor damage. Unable to obtain flying speed. Aborted late ran off runway into cornfield. Parking brake was on.
- [Incident 19880713037339I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880713037339I), Jul 13, 1988: Piper PA28161 (N3573S), West Chicago, IL, Minor damage. Found seat belt outside door on climbout. Landed downwind off side of runway. Struck a ditch and a taxiway light.

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.
