- Date
- July 31, 1991, 20:30 local (Aug 1, 1991, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgewater, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6373APiper PA-38
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910731030989A
- Case key
- 15136
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
Directional control was not maintained by the pilot. A factor related to the accident was a fence.
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 said that as he began rotation during a takeoff run he lost directional control, and began swerving right and left. The acft swerved off the sod strip and collided with a fence which resulted in substantial airframe damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6373A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0398
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paweltzki, Jerry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 1990
- Airport
- SD42 · Waltner And Richards, runway 12, 2,500 × 110 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 563 total · 71 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- FSD, 25 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.