- Date
- June 15, 2000, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Loveland, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4948LPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000615010989A
- Case key
- 49447
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during takeoff roll. A factor was lack of recent experience.
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
On initial takeoff roll during a student solo training flight, the aircraft departed the side of the runway and ground looped damaging both wings. The pilot said he lost control of the aircraft during takeoff roll. The pilot had flown 9 hours in the preceding 90 days and 3 hours in the preceding 30 days. The wind was from 170 degrees magnetic at 5 knots and the runway used was 15.
Factual narrative
On June 15, 2000, at 0800 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N4948L, sustained substantial damage when it departed the side of the runway during takeoff roll at Loveland/Fort Collins Municipal Airport, Loveland, Colorado. The student pilot and sole occupant was not injured. The local area flight was operating as a student solo training flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
In his report of the accident, the pilot stated he had 45 hours total flight time and 27 hours in this make and model aircraft. He said he had 9 hours flight time in the preceding 90 days and 3 hours in the preceding 30 days.
According to the pilot, he lost control of the airplane during takeoff roll and it departed the side of the runway and ground looped, which caused damage to both wings, the propeller, and the nose landing gear assembly.
At the time of the accident, the wind was from 170 degrees magnetic at 5 knots and the runway in use was runway 15.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4948L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-4317
- Airframe hours
- 5,454
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Owen Morgan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 8, 2000 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- FNL
- Airport
- FNL · Loveland/Fort Collins, runway 15, 8,500 × 100 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 45 total · 27 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL, 1 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.