- Date
- April 22, 2021, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Faribault, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7114CPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210422005509A
- Case key
- 102970
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain control during takeoff in gusty wind conditions and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in the airplane colliding with trees and subsequently the ground.
Findings · 4
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
The flight instructor reported that, while the student pilot was conducting his fourth takeoff during his first flight lesson, the airplane encountered a wind gust and entered a “sharp” left turn toward a tree line. The flight instructor took control of the airplane, verified the throttle was at full power, and adjusted the airplane’s pitch for best angle of climb airspeed. He thought the airplane had cleared the trees; however, the aft fuselage or empennage struck some branches causing the airplane to lose airspeed. The airplane entered a descent and impacted a field on the other side of the tree line. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, left horizontal stabilizer, and the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the student pilot was taking off on runway 30 with wind from 270o at 11 knots with gusts to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7114C
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843913
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 890.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- AV8 Flight School
- Registered owner
- AV8 Flight Assets LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 24, 2021 · 48.4 hours before
- Departed
- FCM · Eden Prairie, MN
- Airport
- FBL · Fairbault Muni, runway 30, 4,257 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 14, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 710 total · 460 in this make and model · 648 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1 total · 1 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- FCM, 0.3 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.9 MB 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.
Other investigations on N7114C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.