- Date
- May 2, 2013, 10:33 local (14:33 UTC)
- Place
- Brogue, PA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N33677Piper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130502008259A
- Case key
- 86812
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 flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a power line.
Findings · 2
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
According to the flight instructor (CFI), while demonstrating a grass strip departure to a student pilot, he stated that he taxied to a grass strip runway. He instructed the student pilot to conduct the takeoff. The student pilot advanced the throttle and according to the CFI; full takeoff power was achieved. Approximately half way down the runway the airspeed reached minimum rotation speed. The CFI stated that the runway began to upslope. The airspeed increased at a reduced rate, but the engine continued to operate normally. When the airplane reached the top of the slope, airspeed increased to 60 mph and the CFI called out “rotate”. The CFI assisted the student pilot with the rotation. The climbout was normal according to the CFI and the airplane struck a power line approximately 150 feet from the end of the runway 28. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), while demonstrating a grass strip departure to a student pilot, he stated that he taxied to a grass strip runway. He instructed the student pilot to conduct the takeoff. The student pilot advanced the throttle and according to the CFI; full takeoff power was achieved. Approximately half way down the runway the airspeed reached minimum rotation speed. The CFI stated that the runway began to upslope. The airspeed increased at a reduced rate, but the engine continued to operate normally. When the airplane reached the top of the slope, airspeed increased to 60 mph and the CFI called out “rotate”. The CFI assisted the student pilot with the rotation. The climbout was normal according to the CFI and the airplane struck a power line approximately 150 feet from the end of the runway 28. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33677
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7525225
- Airframe hours
- 4,246
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kitchen Holdings Inc
- Registered owner
- Kitchen Holdings Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 3, 2013 · 63 hours before
- Departed
- PW8 · Brogue, PA
- Destination
- PW8 · Brogue, PA
- Airport
- PW8 · Baublitz Commercial Airport, runway 28, 2,493 × 100 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 17, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 19,003 total · 14 in this make and model · 2,733 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- 9W8
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 3, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB 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.