- Date
- March 21, 2021, 08:35 local (12:35 UTC)
- Place
- West Chester, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N24JNPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- 20210321001059A
- Case key
- 102792
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 during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with airport lights and a hangar.
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
The pilot reported that, while on his takeoff roll, the airplane veered to the left of the runway centerline when he glanced down to check the instruments. He corrected with right rudder to return to the center; however, he overcorrected and then added left rudder. Before he was able to correct, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and struck the precision approach path indicator lights, which breached the left fuel tank and ignited a fire in the left wing. The airplane subsequently crossed a taxiway, travelled down an embankment, and impacted a maintenance hangar. The pilot egressed through the right cockpit door and was able to extinguish the fire. The airplane’s left wing was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24JN
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-4753
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 3,904.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brandywine Flight School
- Registered owner
- Brandywine Flight School
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 2021 · 22.4 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- OQN · Brandywine Rgnl, runway 09/27, 3,347 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 11, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 91 total · 5 in this make and model · 35 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.56 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Observed at
- OQN
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.5 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.