- Date
- June 2, 2010, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Dover, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7686KPiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20100602035529A
- Case key
- 76485
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 failure to maintain clearance from the trees during takeoff.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to a written statement provided by the pilot to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane hit a deer during the takeoff roll from a private grass strip. The airplane was unable to clear the trees at the end of the runway, impacted the tree tops, and came to rest on the far side of the trees. Both main landing gear were spread out and the propeller was bent. An examination of the airframe and its systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed minor damage and no mechanical anomalies. The pilot confirmed that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. On June 30, 2010, the Safety Board was notified, by the passenger, that he had sustained serious injuries during the accident. The passenger also elaborated that the airplane had not impacted a deer; however, the airplane had an "extremely long" takeoff roll and had impacted the tree tops at the departure end of the runway prior to impacting the ground. The pilot did not submit the Pilot Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report form 6120.1/2, as requested multiple times by the Safety Board.
Factual narrative
According to a written statement provided by the pilot to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane hit a deer during the takeoff roll from a private grass strip. The airplane was unable to clear the trees at the end of the runway, impacted the tree tops, and came to rest on the far side of the trees. Both main landing gear were spread out and the propeller was bent. An examination of the airframe and its systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed minor damage and no mechanical anomalies. The pilot confirmed that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. On June 30, 2010, the Safety Board was notified, by the passenger, that he had sustained serious injuries during the accident. The passenger also elaborated that the airplane had not impacted a deer; however, the airplane had an "extremely long" takeoff roll and had impacted the tree tops at the departure end of the runway prior to impacting the ground. The pilot did not submit the Pilot Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report form 6120.1/2, as requested multiple times by the Safety Board.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7686K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-508
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AR89 · Dover, AR
- Destination
- AR89 · Dover, AR
- Airport
- AR89 · Landers Loop - Dover, Arkansas, runway 20, 2,100 × 100 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 120 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.72 inHg
- Observed at
- KRUE, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 665 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.