- Date
- September 27, 2008, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gann Valley, SD
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6266JPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 69237
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 inability to gain sufficient altitude during takeoff as a result of inadequate preflight planning.
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 pilot agreed to take the non-pilot rated aircraft owner and a passenger on a local flight. The pilot reported that during takeoff, he was not able to gain sufficient altitude to clear a fence off the departure end of the runway. The landing gear contacted the fence and the airplane continued forward until it contacted an embankment. The pilot stated he was not familiar with this particular airplane and airport, and that he should have had a greater safety margin on which to base his midfield go/no-go decision.
Factual narrative
The pilot agreed to take the non-pilot rated aircraft owner and a passenger on a local flight. The pilot reported that during takeoff, he was not able to gain sufficient altitude to clear a fence off the departure end of the runway. The landing gear contacted the fence and the airplane continued forward until it contacted an embankment. The pilot stated he was not familiar with this particular airplane and airport, and that he should have had a greater safety margin on which to base his midfield go/no-go decision.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6266J
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (140)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7625237
- Airframe hours
- 5,394
- Engine
- Lycoming O320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dihl J. Grohs
- Registered owner
- Dihl J. Grohs
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2008
- Departed
- PVT · Gann Valley, SD
- Destination
- PVT · Gann Valley, SD
- Airport
- PVT · Private Airstrip, runway 27, 2,000 × 16 ft
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 23, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,326 total · 79 in this make and model · 1,285 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F