# Accident 20110618012029A: Piper PA-28-140, Guntersville, AL, June 18, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 18, 2011, 09:50 local time
- Place: Guntersville, AL
- Airport: Guntersville Municipal - Joe Starne
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.3886° N, 86.2697° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.3886&lon=-86.2697&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1803T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1803T-2012-01-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 200 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11FA348](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA348) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110618012029A

## Narrative

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

ON JUNE 18, 2011 ABOUT 0950 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140 (CHEROKEE), N1803T, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND THE GROUND FOLLOWING A DEPARTURE FROM GUNTERSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT – JOE STARNES FIELD (8A1), GUNTERSVILLE, ALABAMA. THE FLIGHT'S INTENDED DESTINATION WAS DESTIN/FT. WALTON BEACH AIRPORT (DTS), DESTIN, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED; ONE OTHER PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. AIRPORT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST BEEN REFUELED AT 8A1 AND HAD RECEIVED 35.8 GALLONS OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL.  THE FUEL INVOICE INDICATED A TIME OF 0946:07. SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL.  WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE ROTATED APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS DOWN THE RUNWAY, PITCHED UP TO A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, APPEARED TO LEVEL, PITCHED UP TO A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY APPEARED TO HAVE A "HIGH SINK RATE."   THEY FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WENT BELOW THEIR VIEW POINT BUT WAS SEEN IN A WING'S LEVEL NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE.  ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD INTENDED TO LAND AT AN AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT; HOWEVER, DIVERTED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT TO ACQUIRE FUEL.  THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT  TOLD HIM HE HAD RAN ONE FUEL TANK EMPTY AND THE ENGINE QUIT IN FLIGHT.  HE HAD SWITCHED TANKS AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENGINE RESTARTED IN FLIGHT.  PILOT  WAS NOT SURE HE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO THE INTENDED FUEL STOP OF (8A0) ALBERTVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT SO HE DECIDED TO LAND AT 8A1 TO ACQUIRE FUEL.ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE COME OVER THE TREE LINE BEHIND THEIR HOUSE, IMPACT THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE EJECTED FROM THE AIRPLANE. HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR ANY "UNUSUAL ENGINE NOISES."

## 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 ERA11FA348](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA348), Jun 18, 2011: Piper PA-28-140 (N1803T), Guntersville, AL, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's excessive pitch attitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the takeoff initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to comply with weight and balance…

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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