- Date
- October 18, 1991, 19:00 local (Oct 19, 1991, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N38713Piper PA28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911018047229A
- Case key
- 15267
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
Failure of the pilot to compensate for wind conditions during initial climb. Factors associated with the accident are crosswind conditions and a dark night light condition.
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 accident airplane was seen to taxi toward the runway during the early hours of darkness. The destroyed airplane was discovered the next morning in a field 500 feet east of the airport property. No flight plan was on file. The pilot of another airplane departing from the airport about the same time described very strong crosswinds. The observed winds at the nearest reporting station were 80 degrees to the left of the departure runway heading under overcast skies. The measured velocity was 20 knots gusting to 25. The airplane struck a tree 400 feet right of the extended centerline of the departure runway about 75 feet above ground level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38713
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7725288
- Airframe hours
- 4,483
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aretz Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Aretz Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 6, 1991 · 84 hours before
- Destination
- UCY · Union City, IN
- Airport
- 3AR · Aretz, runway 7, 2,834 × 50 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 303 total · 11 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 350° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAF, 7 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.