- Date
- October 4, 2009, 19:45 local (Oct 5, 2009, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Gainesboro, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N95472Piper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091004050809A
- Case key
- 74848
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 clearance from trees. Contributing to the accident were the rising terrain and night light conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During a visual flight rules cross-county flight, the pilot elected to make an unscheduled landing to obtain updated weather information. The pilot subsequently elected to depart from runway 36, a 3,500-foot-long, unlighted, asphalt runway. It was a dark night and the pilot used glow sticks to illuminate points around the runway. The pilot reported that the takeoff and initial climb were normal, but that he did not have any further recollection of the flight. The airplane subsequently impacted trees along rising terrain northwest of the airport, substantially damaging the airplane. A witness who heard the airplane depart stated that the engine noise was "loud" with no fluctuations. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions. The pilot received his private pilot certificate about 3 months prior to the accident and reported about 120 hours of total flight experience.
Factual narrative
During a visual flight rules cross-county flight, the pilot elected to make an unscheduled landing to obtain updated weather information. The pilot subsequently elected to depart from runway 36, a 3,500-foot-long, unlighted, asphalt runway. It was a dark night, and the pilot utilized "glow sticks" to illuminate points around the runway. The pilot reported that the takeoff and initial climb were normal. He did not have any further recollection of the flight. The airplane subsequently impacted trees along rising terrain northwest of the airport, substantially damaging the airplane. A witness who heard the airplane depart stated that the engine noise was "loud" with no fluctuations. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions. The pilot received his private pilot certificate about 3 months prior to the accident and reported about 120 hours of total flight experience.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N95472
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25980
- Airframe hours
- 5,532
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Duran Jerome J
- Registered owner
- Duran Jerome J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 3, 2009
- Departed
- 1A7 · Gainesboro, TN
- Destination
- MBT · Murfreesboro, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 1A7 · Jackson County, runway 36, 3,500 × 75 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
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 120 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 80° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- CSV, 38 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 13, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 743 KB in all.
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 N95472 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.