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20060519030649A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · La Porte, TX · May 19, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 19, 2006 · 16:40 local
Place
La Porte, TX
Airport
La Porte Municipal
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2378K
NTSB investigation
NTSBDFW06CA133
Reported as
Piper PA38112
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
150 total121 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N2378KRegistration cancelled Jun 28, 2017 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-79A0601 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112Engine 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) The 1979 Piper tomahawk crashed and flipped inverted after a downwind take-off. The 18 year old student pilot, who was the sole occupant, suffered minor injuries. Eyewitnesses said the windsock was indicating a surface wind of at least 15 knots from approximately 160 degrees when the tomahawk made a "short field" take-off on runway 30. The student pilot said he allowed the airspeed to deteriorate below vx speed and was in a constant stall warning horn when he elected to crash straight ahead after he saw that he could not accelerate or climb. The aircraft touched down, wings level, on the grass, 76 feet from the departure end of runway 30, and had a ground roll of 290 feet before striking a six foot tall heavy duty chain link fence. Evidence at the scene shows the aircraft struck the fence in a level attitude, and traveled another 50 feet before flipping on its back. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to both wings, both flaps, both ailerons, the engine mount, the fuselage and empennage, and sudden stoppage damage to the propeller and engine. There was a significant fuel spill, but no fire. The student pilot said he had to forcefully kick the left door open in order to exit the inverted airplane.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE 1979 PIPER TOMAHAWK CRASHED AND FLIPPED INVERTED AFTER A DOWNWIND TAKE-OFF. THE 18 YEAR OLD STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. EYEWITNESSES SAID THE WINDSOCK WAS INDICATING A SURFACE WIND OF AT LEAST 15 KNOTS FROM APPROXIMATELY 160 DEGREES WHEN THE TOMAHAWK MADE A "SHORT FIELD" TAKE-OFF ON RUNWAY 30. THE STUDENT PILOT SAID HE ALLOWED THE AIRSPEED TO DETERIORATE BELOW VX SPEED AND WAS IN A CONSTANT STALL WARNING HORN WHEN HE ELECTED TO CRASH STRAIGHT AHEAD AFTER HE SAW THAT HE COULD NOT ACCELERATE OR CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, WINGS LEVEL, ON THE GRASS, 76 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 30, AND HAD A GROUND ROLL OF 290 FEET BEFORE STRIKING A SIX FOOT TALL HEAVY DUTY CHAIN LINK FENCE. EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE FENCE IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, AND TRAVELED ANOTHER 50 FEET BEFORE FLIPPING ON ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS, BOTH FLAPS, BOTH AILERONS, THE ENGINE MOUNT, THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE, AND SUDDEN STOPPAGE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT FUEL SPILL, BUT NO FIRE. THE STUDENT PILOT SAID HE HAD TO FORCEFULLY KICK THE LEFT DOOR OPEN IN ORDER TO EXIT THE INVERTED AIRPLANE.

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 DFW06CA133Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportLa Porte, TXThe student pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall. A contributing factor was the prevailing tailwind.May 19, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2378K · 1

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

Incident 19890509020039IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Farmingdale, NYWing tip struck a fuel truck while taxiing when instructor reached down to pick up his headset.May 9, 1989 · Minor damage