- Date
- January 5, 2023, 16:04, time zone not recorded
- Place
- Paris, KY
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6111WPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Initial climb: 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
- 20230105000519A
- Case key
- 106552
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 loss of control after encountering changing wind conditions during the initial climb, which resulted in descent and collision with terrain.
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 pilot and two passengers were departing from a 2,800-ft-long turf runway and reported that prior to initiating the takeoff the wind was light and variable. During the initial climb after takeoff, and once the airplane had cleared a ridge and trees that ran parallel to the runway, the pilot reported that there was a “sudden windshear that caused a reduction in lift.” The pilot reduced the airplane’s pitch attitude in an attempt to regain lift, but the airplane continued to descend. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent and the airplane subsequently impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation at an airport 9 miles away noted wind at 10 knots, with no gusts or other convective activity described.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6111W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20126
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 2,825
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 2022 · 30 hours before
- Destination
- 3KY9 · Waddy, KY
- Airport
- 31KY · Wild Blue, runway 34, 2,800 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 36
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 640 in this make and model · 3,177 as pilot in command · 188 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- 27K, 9 nm away
- METAR
- K27K 052115Z AUTO 23010KT 10SM OVC050 08/00 A2993 RMK AO1
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.