OpenAirDocs.org

20190607006049A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Bowdoinham, ME · June 7, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 7, 2019 · 10:30 local
Place
Bowdoinham, ME
Airport
Merrymeeting
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7227F
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA19CA350
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
623 total306 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days
N7227FRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-25139 · Built 1968Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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 June 7, 2019 N7227F was on a training flight with an instructor and a student. The instructor demonstrated a soft field approach and landing into Merrymeeting field (08B) runway 32. Upon landing, the instructor demonstrated soft field taxi procedures and taxied back to runway 32 to prepare for a departure. Upon application of power to take off runway 32, the instructor felt that the grass was too wet and the aircraft was not accelerating fast enough to safely depart, so he aborted the take off. The instructor taxied back, shut down the aircraft, and discussed the airport conditions with local airport management. The instructor felt he could depart from runway 14, which appeared to be drier in the first 1,000 feet and have the performance to be airborne by 1,000 feet. The instructor indicated using 10 degrees of flaps and initiated the take off roll. The aircraft accelerated and began to depart the surface about approximately the half way point on the runway. This was evidenced by landing gear markings on the turf showing the aircraft did momentarily leave the ground, but then settled back onto the runway surface. The instructor said it was not accelerating fast enough to avoid the tree line at the end of the runway, and he made the decision to abort the take off resulting in the aircraft going off of the end of the runway and subsequently being substantially damaged.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 7, 2019 N7227F WAS ON A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND A STUDENT. THE INSTRUCTOR DEMONSTRATED A SOFT FIELD APPROACH AND LANDING INTO MERRYMEETING FIELD (08B) RUNWAY 32. UPON LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR DEMONSTRATED SOFT FIELD TAXI PROCEDURES AND TAXIED BACK TO RUNWAY 32 TO PREPARE FOR A DEPARTURE. UPON APPLICATION OF POWER TO TAKE OFF RUNWAY 32, THE INSTRUCTOR FELT THAT THE GRASS WAS TOO WET AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ACCELERATING FAST ENOUGH TO SAFELY DEPART, SO HE ABORTED THE TAKE OFF. THE INSTRUCTOR TAXIED BACK, SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT, AND DISCUSSED THE AIRPORT CONDITIONS WITH LOCAL AIRPORT MANAGEMENT. THE INSTRUCTOR FELT HE COULD DEPART FROM RUNWAY 14, WHICH APPEARED TO BE DRIER IN THE FIRST 1,000 FEET AND HAVE THE PERFORMANCE TO BE AIRBORNE BY 1,000 FEET. THE INSTRUCTOR INDICATED USING 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND INITIATED THE TAKE OFF ROLL. THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED AND BEGAN TO DEPART THE SURFACE ABOUT APPROXIMATELY THE HALF WAY POINT ON THE RUNWAY. THIS WAS EVIDENCED BY LANDING GEAR MARKINGS ON THE TURF SHOWING THE AIRCRAFT DID MOMENTARILY LEAVE THE GROUND, BUT THEN SETTLED BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID IT WAS NOT ACCELERATING FAST ENOUGH TO AVOID THE TREE LINE AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND HE MADE THE DECISION TO ABORT THE TAKE OFF RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT GOING OFF OF THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY BEING SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

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 GAA19CA350Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportNowdoinham, METhe flight instructor's delayed decision to abort the takeoff from a wet, grass runway with insufficient runway remaining, which resulted in a runway overrun and the airplane going down an embankment.Jun 7, 2019 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7227F · 1

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

Accident 19750625016619ALevel Off Touchdown · Keene, NHBounced on landing,collapsed nose landing gear during recovery attempt.Jun 25, 1975 · Substantial damage