ERA25LA251

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-22-135 · Elberta, AL · June 27, 2025

Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
June 27, 2025, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
Place
Elberta, AL
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N3228BPiper PA-22-135
Defining event
Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 14, 2025
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
20250627009879A
Case key
200437

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

Pilot’s decision to take off from a wet and unmaintained field that was unsuitable for airplane operations, resulting in a loss of control and subsequent nose over. Contributing was the pilot’s self-induced pressure to complete the flight.

Findings · 5

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.

Airport facilities/design: runway/landing area conditionEnvironmental issues › Operating environment · Decision related to conditionPiper PA-22-135: 1 caseAll aircraft: 61 casesProbable cause
Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface: soft surfaceEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Decision related to conditionPiper PA-22-135: 1 caseAll aircraft: 264 casesProbable cause
Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface: wet surfaceEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Decision related to conditionPiper PA-22-135: 1 caseAll aircraft: 141 casesProbable cause

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 was flying to the destination airport where a mechanic was scheduled to perform an annual inspection of the airplane (that was about to be overdue). While enroute, a storm had arrived over the destination airport, so the pilot diverted to what he thought was a private airstrip. As soon as the airplane touched down, he realized that it was not a maintained airstrip. The pilot waited for the storm to pass, then elected to resume the flight and attempted to take off. During the takeoff roll, he was forced to abort because of the wet and rough ground condition. He attempted a second takeoff from another part of the field that appeared smoother, but during the second takeoff attempt, about 1/3 of the way into the takeoff roll, the terrain got progressively wetter and muddier. The airplane began to skid left and right, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The left wing subsequently struck the ground which resulted in the airplane nosing over and coming to rest inverted. The pilot received minor injuries, and the airplane’s wings, rudder and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. He further stated that in retrospect, he had a “get-there-it is mentality” because of the airplane’s impending inspection deadline.

Aircraft

Registration
N3228B
Reported as
Piper PA-22-135
Category
Airplane
Serial number
22-2057
Built
1954
Airframe hours
3,409
Engine
Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Eldorado Aircraft LLC
Registered owner
Eldorado Aircraft LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 17, 2024 · 30 hours before
Destination
Same as departure
Airport
PVT · Non-Airport Farmland
Equipment
Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display

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
79
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
1,100 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,050 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
330° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
13,000 ft broken
Temperature
79 °F, dew point 75 °F
Altimeter
30.11 inHg
Observed at
NPA, 9 nm away
METAR
KNPA 271456Z 33005KT 10SM FEW028 BKN130 BKN250 26/24 A3011 RMK AO2 RAE13 SLP197 T2 SET P0000 60015 T02610239 50004

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.