What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Statement received by ops inspector privacy data omitted cvg GL05 office 01-JUN-2021.
On may 20, 2021, at approximately 7:45 p.m. eastern daylight time (2345 zulu), Piper PA-28-140, N15033 exited the left side of runway 23 at the Fayette County Airport (I23) as the student pilot was practicing a soft field takeoff. The aircraft was operating as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The single pilot suffered minor injuries and the aircraft received substantial damage when the aircraft traveled across a drainage ditch on the east side of the runway. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The wilmington air park (kiln) weather at the time of the accident was wind 130 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 6500 feet broken.
From privacy data omitted: I was practicing for my upcoming ppl checkride. I was performing soft-field takeoff maneuvers on runway 23 at I23 (Fayette County Airport). I had done about 5 of them the day before with no issues, and was going to perform my last one for the afternoon before I went home. There was a 6-7 knot direct crosswind from the left, which I had taken off with previously (and was within the limits set by my instructor). When I started the take-off roll onto the runway, everything seemed fine. After the nose-gear had lifted from the runway (typical for this type of take-off), the plane started to turn to the left toward the field on the south-east side of the runway. As this happened, I applied right rudder pressure, but it did not have much effect on the direction of movement of the aircraft. As I realized that I was going to go into the grass, I applied hard breaks to both rudder pedals, and the plane sharply veered to the left into the ditch on the south-east side of the runway. I am skeptical of whether the main gear was slightly off of the runway, and when it settled down to the runway, it caught the left main gear before the right main gear, and because I had the brakes applied, it sharply turned to the left.
As the FAA filed it
STATEMENT RECEIVED BY OPS INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CVG GL05 OFFICE 01-JUN-2021.
ON MAY 20, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:45 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (2345 ZULU), PIPER PA-28-140, N15033 EXITED THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 23 AT THE FAYETTE COUNTY AIRPORT (I23) AS THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE SINGLE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED ACROSS A DRAINAGE DITCH ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WILMINGTON AIR PARK (KILN) WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS WIND 130 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, FEW CLOUDS AT 6500 FEET BROKEN.
FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^: I WAS PRACTICING FOR MY UPCOMING PPL CHECKRIDE. I WAS PERFORMING SOFT-FIELD TAKEOFF MANEUVERS ON RUNWAY 23 AT I23 (FAYETTE COUNTY AIRPORT). I HAD DONE ABOUT 5 OF THEM THE DAY BEFORE WITH NO ISSUES, AND WAS GOING TO PERFORM MY LAST ONE FOR THE AFTERNOON BEFORE I WENT HOME. THERE WAS A 6-7 KNOT DIRECT CROSSWIND FROM THE LEFT, WHICH I HAD TAKEN OFF WITH PREVIOUSLY (AND WAS WITHIN THE LIMITS SET BY MY INSTRUCTOR). WHEN I STARTED THE TAKE-OFF ROLL ONTO THE RUNWAY, EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. AFTER THE NOSE-GEAR HAD LIFTED FROM THE RUNWAY (TYPICAL FOR THIS TYPE OF TAKE-OFF), THE PLANE STARTED TO TURN TO THE LEFT TOWARD THE FIELD ON THE SOUTH-EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AS THIS HAPPENED, I APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER PRESSURE, BUT IT DID NOT HAVE MUCH EFFECT ON THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT. AS I REALIZED THAT I WAS GOING TO GO INTO THE GRASS, I APPLIED HARD BREAKS TO BOTH RUDDER PEDALS, AND THE PLANE SHARPLY VEERED TO THE LEFT INTO THE DITCH ON THE SOUTH-EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. I AM SKEPTICAL OF WHETHER THE MAIN GEAR WAS SLIGHTLY OFF OF THE RUNWAY, AND WHEN IT SETTLED DOWN TO THE RUNWAY, IT CAUGHT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR BEFORE THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR, AND BECAUSE I HAD THE BRAKES APPLIED, IT SHARPLY TURNED TO THE LEFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N15033 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.