- Date
- July 27, 1990, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Concord, NC
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5278PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900727031689A
- Case key
- 8258
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 inadequate preflight planning and preparation, in that he did not fully consider the effects of high obstructions and a poor runway surface condition.
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 pilot was on takeoff roll and determined that he could not climb above trees located off the departure end of the runway. He aborted the takeoff and could not bring the airplane to a stop in the remaining runway distance. The airplane entered high weeds and contacted a ditch which was not visible from the runway. The departure end of the runway was dirt, bare of grass from frequent landings. The pilot reported that he was accustomed to making takeoffs in the opposite direction, where the departure end obstructions were not as high. The pilot also reported that he was about 65 pounds under maximum gross weight at takeoff. He reported no mechanical difficulties with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5278P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-317
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1C5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hans P. Rogenmoser
- Destination
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Airport
- 4NC8 · Goodnight'S, runway 33, 2,640 × 40 ft, grass/turf
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 558 total · 271 in this make and model · 454 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5278P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.