# Accident 20100831044889A: Piper PA-28-140, Anderson, IN, August 31, 2010

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2010, 19:00 local time
- Place: Anderson, IN
- Airport: Anderson Municipal-Darlington Fld
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.2325° N, 85.6375° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2325&lon=-85.6375&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3969K, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3969K) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 9,230 total, 416 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN10CA518](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA518) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100831044889A

## Narrative

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

A CFI WAS THE PIC OF A DISCOVERY FLIGHT WITH TWO PASSENGERS DEPARTING FROM KAID RUNWAY 18 ON THE EVENING OF 31 AUGUST 2010.  WINDS WERE REPORTED AT 240 AT 4 KNOTS; OAT OF 29 C. THE PILOT DID NOT MAKE A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION PRIOR TO FLIGHT.  BASED ON THE PILOT'S ESTIMATE OF PASSENGER WEIGHTS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AT A VERY HIGH GROSS WEIGHT. (THE OPERATOR WAS UNABLE PROVIDE A PASSENGER MANIFEST OR TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE RECORD OF PASSSENGER WEIGHTS). THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S PERFORMANCE WITH TAKEOFF POWER SET APPEARED TO BE NORMAL.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ROTATED AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, HOWEVER, HE ALSO STATED THAT HE MAY HAVE PULLED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY INSTEAD OF LETTING THE AIRCRAFT FLY ITSELF OFF THE RUNWAY (AS SPECIFIED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S OWNER'S HANDBOOK).  SHORTLY AFTER LIFT OFF, THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT.  AS THE PILOT MADE CONTROL INPUTS TO CORRECT THE ROLL,  HE FELT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CLIMBING NORMALLY AND NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN SINKING.  THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A GRASSY AREA TO THE IMMEDIATE EAST OF RUNWAY 18 WITH TAKEOFF POWER SET.  AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, THE LOWER PORTION OF THE AFT FUSELAGE CONTACTED A FRANGIBLE RUNWAY MARKER AND SEVERAL RUNWAY LIGHTS.  THE PILOT THEN SELECTED IDLE POWER AND TURNED ON TO THE ADJACENT CROSSING RUNWAY (12/30) AND TAXIED BACK TO THE KAID RAMP. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT STABILATOR, AND THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE AFT FUSELAGE FORMER HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPACT DAMAGE.

## 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 CEN10CA518](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA518), Aug 31, 2010: Piper PA-28-140 (N3969K), Anderson, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to abort the takeoff due to degraded airplane performance.

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.

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