# Accident 20200801012859A: Piper PA-32RT-300T, Honesdale, PA, August 1, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 1, 2020, 07:45 local time
- Place: Honesdale, PA
- Airport: Cherry Ridge
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.5156° N, 75.2517° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5156&lon=-75.2517&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3025L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3025L) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32RT-300T (registry code 7103216, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TIO-540 series (registry code 41569, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32RT-300T
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 112 total, 30 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA274) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200801012859A

## Narrative

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

PILOT WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 36 ON SATURDAY AUGUST 1, 2020 AT AROUND 7:45AM. ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE PILOT AND FOUR DAUGHTERS. THE FAMILY WAS ENROUTE TO OCEAN CITY MD. THE PILOT TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 36 FULL LENGTH FOR DEPARTURE. PILOT WAS ON TAKE OFF ROLL WHEN HE PASSED THE WIND SOCK AND PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT INTO A STEEP CLIMB. THE PILOT WAS RUNNING OUT OF USABLE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED CAUSING THE TAIL TO SCRAPE THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE ABRUPTLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE NOSE WHEEL AND EXITED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH SUBSTANTIAL 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 ERA20LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA274), Aug 1, 2020: Piper PA32RT (N3025L), Honesdale, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s premature rotation for takeoff, which resulted in a tail strike and subsequent runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, which failed…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.