20180726018049A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Palatka, FL · July 26, 2018

Date: July 26, 2018 · 20:15 local
Place: Palatka, FL
Airport: Palatka Municipal Kay Larkin
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N6427P
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA18FA200
Reported as: Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 704 total15 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N6427PRegistration cancelled Jun 26, 2019 · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-1537 · Built 1959 Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

On July 26, 2018 about 2007 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6427P, was destroyed while taking off from Palatka municipal airport-lt. kay Larkin field (28J) Palatka, Florida. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.

According to a witness who was in his hangar approximately 200 yards away and airport security tapes, he took off with a high aircraft pitch attitude and upon reaching approximately 150 feet of altitude, stalled, spun and impacted the ground in a near vertical nose down attitude at a location approximately 60 feet east of runway 17, north of taxiway C2. One-half way down the full length of runway 17/35. The witness stated the aircraft engine was running at full power for the entire flight.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 26, 2018 ABOUT 2007 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24-250, N6427P, WAS DESTROYED WHILE TAKING OFF FROM PALATKA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT-LT. KAY LARKIN FIELD (28J) PALATKA, FLORIDA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.

ACCORDING TO A WITNESS WHO WAS IN HIS HANGAR APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS AWAY AND AIRPORT SECURITY TAPES, HE TOOK OFF WITH A HIGH AIRCRAFT PITCH ATTITUDE AND UPON REACHING APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET OF ALTITUDE, STALLED, SPUN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT A LOCATION APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET EAST OF RUNWAY 17, NORTH OF TAXIWAY C2. ONE-HALF WAY DOWN THE FULL LENGTH OF RUNWAY 17/35. THE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT FULL POWER FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.

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 ERA18FA200Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportPalatka, FLThe pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control.Jul 27, 2018 · Destroyed