- Date
- June 23, 2001, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Haines, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9581WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-JNU FSDO 05
- FAA report
- 20010623039339A
- Case key
- 52654
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. Factors in the accident were soft terrain, and the pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private certificated pilot was taking off from a soft area of tidal beach. Following a soft-field takeoff, the pilot said he allowed the airplane to climb to about 20 feet above the ground, and then held the airplane in ground effect to build airspeed. He said the airplane then encountered a downdraft, and settled onto the ground. The pilot aborted the takeoff, pulled the engine power to idle, raised the flaps, and applied maximum braking. The airplane skidded about 70 yards, and went over a small berm at the end of the takeoff area. The main landing gear struck a log, and the airplane came to rest against a small hill. The pilot said the right main landing gear was torn out of the wing, and the left main landing gear scissor was broken, allowing the left main gear strut to fall out of its housing. The leading edge of the right wing, and the right flap were also damaged.
Factual narrative
On June 23, 2001, about 1230 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 airplane, N9581W, sustained substantial damage during an aborted takeoff from a tidal area, about eight miles east of Haines, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the two passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on June 23, the pilot reported that he was taking off to the south from a soft area of tidal beach. Following a soft-field takeoff, the pilot said he allowed the airplane to climb to about 20 feet above the ground, and then held the airplane in ground effect to build airspeed. He said the airplane then encountered a downdraft, and settled onto the ground. The pilot aborted the takeoff, pulled the engine power to idle, raised the flaps, and applied maximum braking. The airplane skidded about 70 yards, and went over a small berm at the end of the takeoff area. The main landing gear struck a log, and the airplane came to rest against a small hill. The pilot said the right main landing gear was torn out of the wing, and the left main landing gear scissor was broken, allowing the left main gear strut to fall out of its housing. The leading edge of the right wing, and the right flap were also damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9581W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-23026
- Airframe hours
- 2,459
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cable E. Wells
- Registered owner
- Steve Wilson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 27, 2001 · 112 hours before
- Departed
- Haines, AK
- Destination
- PAHN · Haines, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 23, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 142 total · 130 in this make and model · 111 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 88 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.