- Date
- December 5, 2018, 15:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Cornelia, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N839ALPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181205023219A
- Case key
- 98740
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain the runway heading during an attempted takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees.
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 flight instructor reported that, during a touch-and-go landing in crosswind conditions and with the student pilot on the controls, the airplane touched down on the runway centerline "but without perfect longitudinal (heading) alignment," and the airplane then veered left. The instructor took control of the airplane and added power to take off, but she did not retract any of the "partial" flaps. She maintained the "slightly" offset direction from the runway during the takeoff roll, and the airplane became airborne as it exited the left side of the runway. The left wing impacted trees and brush. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest at the bottom of a ravine. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 330° at 7 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 6.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, during a touch and go landing in a crosswind, and the student pilot on the controls, the airplane touched down on the runway centerline, "but without perfect longitudinal (heading) alignment", and the airplane veered left. The instructor took control of the airplane, added power to takeoff, but did not retract any of the "partial" flaps. She maintained the "slightly" offset direction during the takeoff roll and the airplane became airborne as it exited the left side of the runway. The left wing impacted trees and brush. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest at the bottom of a ravine. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was 330° at 7 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The airplane landed on runway 6.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N839AL
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843412
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 6,520.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-36A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 29, 2018
- Departed
- AJR · Cornelia, GA
- Destination
- AJR · Cornelia, GA
- Airport
- AJR · Habersham County, runway 06, 5,506 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 94 in the last 90 days · 40.5 in the last 30 days · 3.7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 32 total · 10.6 in this make and model · 8.3 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Observed at
- KAJR
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.