- Date
- July 11, 1987, 21:30 local (Jul 12, 1987, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chelsea, MI
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2904APiper PA-28RT-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870711072439A
- Case key
- 13791
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
The pilot and three passengers attempted a takeoff from a 1800 foot sod, upsloping runway with tall, wet grass. Density altitude was 2700 feet. As the aircraft climbed out of ground effect the pilot said the engine sounded 'funny' and aborted the takeoff. The aircraft ran off the departure end of the runway, struck a tree and the nose gear collapsed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2904A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201 (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R7918212
- Airframe hours
- 1,894
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hand'S Flying Service Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- YIP · Ypsilanti, MI
- Airport
- Sharphorn, runway 21, 1,800 × 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 976 total · 76 in this make and model · 776 as pilot in command · 107 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JAX, 20 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.
Other investigations on N2904A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.