- Date
- December 29, 2007, 10:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Gunnison, CO
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N33MFPiper PA-46-310P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20071229829419A
- Case key
- 67317
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff resulting in the airplane hitting a snowbank and subsequently, the ground.
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 airplane was taking off. As the pilot began his takeoff roll, he noticed the airplane sliding just a little. As he continued to accelerate, he got the airplane straight and proceeded down the center of the runway. The pilot said that at about 75 knots, he rotated. He said he was watching a snow plow that was farther down the runway and off to the side. He'd just gotten into the air, approximately 5 feet above the runway, when the airplane drifted left and the left main landing gear caught a snow bank. The airplane came down, impacting the ground off the side of the runway and coming to rest in the snow. The pilot and the four passengers on board were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot said he felt he did not put in enough right rudder to counter the torque of the propeller after he left the ground.
Factual narrative
The airplane was taking off. As the pilot began his takeoff roll, he noticed the airplane sliding just a little. As he continued to accelerate, he got the airplane straight and proceeded down the center of the runway. The pilot said that at about 75 knots, he rotated. He said he was watching a snow plow that was farther down the runway and off to the side. He'd just gotten into the air, approximately 5 feet above the runway, when the airplane drifted left and the left main landing gear caught a snow bank. The airplane came down, impacting the ground off the side of the runway and coming to rest in the snow. The pilot and the four passengers on board were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot said he felt he did not put in enough right rudder to counter the torque of the propeller after he left the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33MF
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-310P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4608058
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Max A. Hale
- Registered owner
- Freedom Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GUC · Gunnison, CO
- Destination
- Phoenix, AZ
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.