- Date
- May 18, 2008, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wrightsville, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4553JPiper PA-28R-180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20080518834029A
- Case key
- 68233
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 control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the gusty winds.
Findings · 2
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 was taking off on a personal cross country flight when a gust of wind caught the airplane, forcing the nose up. The pilot pushed the nose down and the airplane impacted the ground along side the runway, causing substantial damage. The pilot reported winds were 10 knots gusting to 30 knots. A weather reporting station 45 miles away reported that the winds were from 270 degrees magnetic at 10 knots gusting to 21 knots about the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On May 18, 2008, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-180; N4553J, was substantially damaged, when it impacted the ground during takeoff from runway 28 (2,560 by 75 feet) at The Farm Airport (01GE) in Wrightsville, Georgia. The pilot and his one passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight was departing at the time of the accident. The pilot reported winds were variable at 10 knots gusting to 30 knots. The winds, 45 miles away in Macon, Georgia, were reported being from 270 degrees magnetic at 13 knots gusting to 21 knots. The pilot said that after takeoff he added a second notch of flaps and retracted the gear. He said that at an altitude of 20-30 feet above the ground, a gust of wind caught the aircraft, and forced the nose up. The pilot then pushed the nose down and the aircraft was forced into bushes along the left side of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4553J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30414
- Airframe hours
- 6,206
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edward J. Kobs
- Registered owner
- Edward J. Kobs
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2008 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 01GE · Wrightsville, GA
- Destination
- VPC · Cartersville, GA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 01GE · The Farm Airport, runway 28, 2,560 × 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 23, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,550 total · 1,300 in this make and model · 1,440 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- KMCN, 50 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.