- Date
- June 13, 2003, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Harvey, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N21533Piper PA-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA- Fargo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030613021219A
- Case key
- 57223
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 aborted takeoff not performed by the pilot. The inadequate short field takeoff procedure by the pilot and the short grass runway were contributing factors.
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 airplane impacted terrain during takeoff when it came over the edge of a drop off located at the end of a 1,400 foot long grass runway. The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll, the airplane did not accelerate and he lowered the nose an additional amount in attempt to gain acceleration. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 2003, at 1445 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24, N21533, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain on takeoff from a private airstrip about two miles south of Harvey, North Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was uninjured. The local flight departed about 1445.
The pilot stated that he started the takeoff roll on a north-south runway (1,400 feet by 75 feet, grass) with one notch of flaps selected.
During the takeoff, he stated that he rotated and lowered the nose to accelerate, but the airplane would not accelerate. He then lowered the nose an additional amount, and the airplane "washed" to the left slightly and still was not accelerating. The airplane came over the edge of a drop off at the end of the runway and began to settle. He tried to make a normal landing but the nose landing gear collapsed and the right main landing gear folded, spinning the airplane in a counterclockwise direction.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21533
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1187
- Airframe hours
- 3,117.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 2002 · 2.6 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Harvey, ND
- Destination
- PVT
- Airport
- PVT · Private, runway 360, 1,400 × 75 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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Last flight review
- May 25, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 250 in this make and model · 870 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- DVL, 60 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.