What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 2/28/2020 privacy data omitted (commercial pilot & flight instructor privacy data omitted) and privacy data omitted (student on this flight) (commercial rotorcraft privacy data omitted) departed springfiled-robertson county airport (M91) flying a Piper pa 28-140 (N79HA) conducting training flights to and around Maury county airport (mcr). The flight from M91 to mcr was uneventful. The crew secured the aircraft and had lunch near mcr. The accident flight was to be a soft filed takeoff and subsequent soft filed landings at mcr prior to returning to M91. The crew performed a preflight and started actions for flight. CFI reported winds variable at five knots, but was observed predominantly from 270. After sitting engine running on the ramp approximately 12-15 minutes the aircraft taxied to runway 35 (grass strip 1811 x 150). The pilot and CFI reported a normal operation but unaware if engine RPM?s. pilot reports lift off approximately 900? At which time he moved the yolk forward to remain in ground effect. Pilot tried to rotate out, the aircraft settled back into ground effect. The pilot and CFI cannot verify airspeed. The pilot again tried to rotate out and again the aircraft settled back into ground effect. Once the aircraft approached the intersecting runway the power lines at the edge of the filed became a concern as they were at eye level. The pilot elected to stay on the field and placed the aircraft in a left back into prevailing winds. The aircraft began to lose lift. At this time, the CFI took controls and with no stall warnings of buffeting deemed, the aircraft was not recoverable. The CFI reaped back on the controls to try to cushion impact. The aircraft came to rest adjacent to runway 24 with no injuries to crew.
As the FAA filed it
ON 2/28/2020 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (COMMERCIAL PILOT & FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (STUDENT ON THIS FLIGHT) (COMMERCIAL ROTORCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) DEPARTED SPRINGFILED-ROBERTSON COUNTY AIRPORT (M91) FLYING A PIPER PA 28-140 (N79HA) CONDUCTING TRAINING FLIGHTS TO AND AROUND MAURY COUNTY AIRPORT (MCR). THE FLIGHT FROM M91 TO MCR WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE CREW SECURED THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD LUNCH NEAR MCR. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS TO BE A SOFT FILED TAKEOFF AND SUBSEQUENT SOFT FILED LANDINGS AT MCR PRIOR TO RETURNING TO M91. THE CREW PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT AND STARTED ACTIONS FOR FLIGHT. CFI REPORTED WINDS VARIABLE AT FIVE KNOTS, BUT WAS OBSERVED PREDOMINANTLY FROM 270. AFTER SITTING ENGINE RUNNING ON THE RAMP APPROXIMATELY 12-15 MINUTES THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO RUNWAY 35 (GRASS STRIP 1811 X 150). THE PILOT AND CFI REPORTED A NORMAL OPERATION BUT UNAWARE IF ENGINE RPM?S. PILOT REPORTS LIFT OFF APPROXIMATELY 900? AT WHICH TIME HE MOVED THE YOLK FORWARD TO REMAIN IN GROUND EFFECT. PILOT TRIED TO ROTATE OUT, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK INTO GROUND EFFECT. THE PILOT AND CFI CANNOT VERIFY AIRSPEED. THE PILOT AGAIN TRIED TO ROTATE OUT AND AGAIN THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK INTO GROUND EFFECT. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE INTERSECTING RUNWAY THE POWER LINES AT THE EDGE OF THE FILED BECAME A CONCERN AS THEY WERE AT EYE LEVEL. THE PILOT ELECTED TO STAY ON THE FIELD AND PLACED THE AIRCRAFT IN A LEFT BACK INTO PREVAILING WINDS. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE LIFT. AT THIS TIME, THE CFI TOOK CONTROLS AND WITH NO STALL WARNINGS OF BUFFETING DEEMED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT RECOVERABLE. THE CFI REAPED BACK ON THE CONTROLS TO TRY TO CUSHION IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 24 WITH NO INJURIES TO CREW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.