What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Summary of the events
The aircraft arrived on a solo student cross-country flight from hartford, CT (khfd) to Newport State rhode island airport (kuuu). The student was appropriately endorsed, and the flight plan and weather had been reviewed with the instructor. The student had previously flown the route with an instructor. Initial ADS-B data indicates a straight-in approach to runway 04. After landing, the aircraft taxied back and entered the departure queue behind another training aircraft and in front of a skydive aircraft.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft veered left. Without a power reduction, it continued off the runway into the grass northwest of the runway intersection and nosed down into a ditch 200 feet north of the runway 04/34 intersection. Ground observers and video evidence confirm there was no attempt to rotate. The preceding training aircraft crew requested airport emergency services. Airport operations responded quickly, and the pilot exited the aircraft uninjured.
Findings & observations
Light gear marks near the runway 04 centerline veered left into the grass, showing signs of light braking. Near runway 34, the nose wheel and left tire marks narrowed and deepened, indicating a skid. Damage from striking the embankment was isolated to the propeller, engine cowling, and landing gear.
The post-incident aircraft configuration was normal. Flap positions during takeoff could not be verified, as post-event photos showed conflicting configurations, possibly altered for egress. Flight controls, rudder, and brakes were near normal. The steering linkage was damaged, but no pre-existing anomalies were found.
Post-event interviews revealed the pilot was unaware of the torque tube crossing just above the rudder pedals. The pilot likely pressed this tube instead of the brakes, which yields slight braking but prevents further pressure. Startled by the event, the pilot failed to reduce power or fully apply the brakes. The core cause was a loss of directional control worsened by mismanaged flight controls.
Safety concerns
• Aborted takeoffs: general aviation training lacks comprehensive aborted takeoff practice. It is rarely practiced beyond engine failure simulations, leaving students unprepared for partial power or directional control issues.
• PA28 brake design: the steel torque tube above the PA28 brake pedals frequently causes pilots to misapply braking pressure. This is a known but poorly communicated issue in the aviation community, evidenced by widespread scrape marks on these tubes.
Preventive measures
1. Enhanced training: implement extensive aborted takeoff training in early flight phases, utilizing flight simulation devices for high-energy scenarios. Include this task in airman certification standards (acs) and 14 CFR 61.87.
2. Community outreach: educate the community via the faasteam and type clubs regarding the PA28 torque tube issue. Recommend that AVP-100 investigate its impact on runway excursions and overruns.
Recommendations for the genral aviation community
Incorporate aborted takeoffs into all training syllabi, flight programs, and flight reviews.
Outstanding issues
Previously noted.
Coordination with other agencies
Faasteam & AVP-100.
Additional information
N/a.
Investigators insight
Contained above.
As the FAA filed it
SUMMARY OF THE EVENTS
THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED ON A SOLO STUDENT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM HARTFORD, CT (KHFD) TO NEWPORT STATE RHODE ISLAND AIRPORT (KUUU). THE STUDENT WAS APPROPRIATELY ENDORSED, AND THE FLIGHT PLAN AND WEATHER HAD BEEN REVIEWED WITH THE INSTRUCTOR. THE STUDENT HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN THE ROUTE WITH AN INSTRUCTOR. INITIAL ADS-B DATA INDICATES A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 04. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED BACK AND ENTERED THE DEPARTURE QUEUE BEHIND ANOTHER TRAINING AIRCRAFT AND IN FRONT OF A SKYDIVE AIRCRAFT.
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT. WITHOUT A POWER REDUCTION, IT CONTINUED OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS NORTHWEST OF THE RUNWAY INTERSECTION AND NOSED DOWN INTO A DITCH 200 FEET NORTH OF THE RUNWAY 04/34 INTERSECTION. GROUND OBSERVERS AND VIDEO EVIDENCE CONFIRM THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO ROTATE. THE PRECEDING TRAINING AIRCRAFT CREW REQUESTED AIRPORT EMERGENCY SERVICES. AIRPORT OPERATIONS RESPONDED QUICKLY, AND THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.
FINDINGS & OBSERVATIONS
LIGHT GEAR MARKS NEAR THE RUNWAY 04 CENTERLINE VEERED LEFT INTO THE GRASS, SHOWING SIGNS OF LIGHT BRAKING. NEAR RUNWAY 34, THE NOSE WHEEL AND LEFT TIRE MARKS NARROWED AND DEEPENED, INDICATING A SKID. DAMAGE FROM STRIKING THE EMBANKMENT WAS ISOLATED TO THE PROPELLER, ENGINE COWLING, AND LANDING GEAR.
THE POST-INCIDENT AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION WAS NORMAL. FLAP POSITIONS DURING TAKEOFF COULD NOT BE VERIFIED, AS POST-EVENT PHOTOS SHOWED CONFLICTING CONFIGURATIONS, POSSIBLY ALTERED FOR EGRESS. FLIGHT CONTROLS, RUDDER, AND BRAKES WERE NEAR NORMAL. THE STEERING LINKAGE WAS DAMAGED, BUT NO PRE-EXISTING ANOMALIES WERE FOUND.
POST-EVENT INTERVIEWS REVEALED THE PILOT WAS UNAWARE OF THE TORQUE TUBE CROSSING JUST ABOVE THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE PILOT LIKELY PRESSED THIS TUBE INSTEAD OF THE BRAKES, WHICH YIELDS SLIGHT BRAKING BUT PREVENTS FURTHER PRESSURE. STARTLED BY THE EVENT, THE PILOT FAILED TO REDUCE POWER OR FULLY APPLY THE BRAKES. THE CORE CAUSE WAS A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WORSENED BY MISMANAGED FLIGHT CONTROLS.
SAFETY CONCERNS
• ABORTED TAKEOFFS: GENERAL AVIATION TRAINING LACKS COMPREHENSIVE ABORTED TAKEOFF PRACTICE. IT IS RARELY PRACTICED BEYOND ENGINE FAILURE SIMULATIONS, LEAVING STUDENTS UNPREPARED FOR PARTIAL POWER OR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ISSUES.
• PA28 BRAKE DESIGN: THE STEEL TORQUE TUBE ABOVE THE PA28 BRAKE PEDALS FREQUENTLY CAUSES PILOTS TO MISAPPLY BRAKING PRESSURE. THIS IS A KNOWN BUT POORLY COMMUNICATED ISSUE IN THE AVIATION COMMUNITY, EVIDENCED BY WIDESPREAD SCRAPE MARKS ON THESE TUBES.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
1. ENHANCED TRAINING: IMPLEMENT EXTENSIVE ABORTED TAKEOFF TRAINING IN EARLY FLIGHT PHASES, UTILIZING FLIGHT SIMULATION DEVICES FOR HIGH-ENERGY SCENARIOS. INCLUDE THIS TASK IN AIRMAN CERTIFICATION STANDARDS (ACS) AND 14 CFR 61.87.
2. COMMUNITY OUTREACH: EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY VIA THE FAASTEAM AND TYPE CLUBS REGARDING THE PA28 TORQUE TUBE ISSUE. RECOMMEND THAT AVP-100 INVESTIGATE ITS IMPACT ON RUNWAY EXCURSIONS AND OVERRUNS.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GENRAL AVIATION COMMUNITY
INCORPORATE ABORTED TAKEOFFS INTO ALL TRAINING SYLLABI, FLIGHT PROGRAMS, AND FLIGHT REVIEWS.
OUTSTANDING ISSUES
PREVIOUSLY NOTED.
COORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES
FAASTEAM & AVP-100.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
N/A.
INVESTIGATORS INSIGHT
CONTAINED ABOVE.
Other reports on N3133Q · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.