- Date
- July 6, 2020, 11:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bardstown, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3725TPiper PA28R
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200706007989A
- Case key
- 101554
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 commercial pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and subsequent loss of lateral bank control during a soft field takeoff.
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
The commercial pilot reported that he was preparing for a flight instructor practical examination, with a flight instructor onboard acting as a student pilot. After demonstrating several normal and short field takeoff and landings, the commercial pilot began to demonstrate a soft field takeoff. The commercial pilot reported that he "smoothly applied full power" and verified that the engine instruments were operating normally. He further reported that shortly after liftoff, while the airplane was in ground effect, the left wing dipped, and he attempted to correct the lateral bank with right aileron, however the left-wing continued to drop. Subsequently, the flight instructor stated, "we're stalling!" as the airplane touched down on the left side of the runway in a nose high, left wing down attitude. The airplane veered off the runway and the right main landing gear collapsed. During the runway excursion, the right wing sustained substantial damage. Neither pilots reported any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3725T
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-30031
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 3,272.3
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- NexGen Aviation LLC.
- Registered owner
- Ralsten Aircraft Leasing LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 2020
- Departed
- LOU · Louisville, KY
- Destination
- BRY · Bardstown, KY
- Airport
- BRY · Samuels Field, runway 03, 5,003 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Onboard weather
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 23, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 273 total · 69 in this make and model · 191 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 5, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,252 total · 77 in this make and model · 1,185 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- BRY
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.3 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.