20021029030679A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-22 · Palmer, AK · October 29, 2002

Date: October 29, 2002 · 09:30 local
Place: Palmer, AK
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N878A
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC03CA008
Reported as: Piper PA22

N878ARegistration cancelled Jul 31, 2012 · Piper PA-22S/N 22-183 · Built 1951 Airframe modelPiper PA-22 Engine modelLycoming 0-290 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) The airman indicated that during takeoff, he allowed the aircraft to become airborne with insufficient airspeed. The aircraft settled onto a gravel bar and collided with rocks. The impact collapsed the left main landing gear and then the right main landing gear. After the pilot and passengers evacuated the airplane, it was consumed by a postcrash fire. The pilot stated that a windshift might have contributed to the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRMAN INDICATED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, HE ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO BECOME AIRBORNE WITH INSUFFICIENT AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ONTO A GRAVEL BAR AND COLLIDED WITH ROCKS. THE IMPACT COLLAPSED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THEN THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. AFTER THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE, IT WAS CONSUMED BY A POSTCRASH FIRE. THE PILOT STATED THAT A WINDSHIFT MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.

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 ANC03CA008Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPalmer, AKThe premature liftoff by the pilot during takeoff, which resulted in on ground encounter with terrain when the airplane settled onto rocks. A contributing factor in the accident was an unfavorable wind.Oct 29, 2002 · Destroyed