- Date
- January 23, 1987, 08:46 local (14:46 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2536APiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870123001369A
- Case key
- 13719
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Following taxi to rwy 36, the plt stated that he completed an engine run-up. On the takeoff roll, the acft swerved to the left before colliding with a snowbank approximately 800 feet from the apch end of the rwy. According to the plt, opposite rudder was applied prior to contact with the snowbank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2536A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0739
- Airframe hours
- 1,576
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- J. Smiley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 14, 1986 · 69 hours before
- Airport
- DEC · Decatur, runway 36, 5,299 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12 total · 12 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point 5 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEC
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 N2536A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.