- 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.
On this page
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.
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.