- Date
- May 4, 2023, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Defuniak Springs, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3796TPiper 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
- 20230504005499A
- Case key
- 107814
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 while taking off in a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a berm. Contributing was the automated weather briefing which failed to include accurate wind information.
Findings · 4
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 listened to the recorded weather information then took off on the airport’s only paved runway with a direct crosswind of about 5 kts. He described that during the initial climb, the airplane encountered either a downdraft or increasing wind over trees next to the runway that resulted in the airplane rolling left. The pilot attempted to counteract the roll; however, the airplane settled off the sloped left side of the runway, impacted a berm, bounced up, and came to rest on the taxiway. The left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident communication with the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the airport manager’s weather reporting system included gusting wind that was not reported by the automated weather system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3796T
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-30109
- Built
- 1967
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 11, 2023
- Airport
- 54J · DeFuniak Springs Airport, runway 9, 4,146 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 944 total · 815 in this make and model · 936 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- CEW, 19 nm away
- METAR
- KCEW 041653Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 27/06 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP165 T02670056
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.