- Date
- October 15, 2019, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9708TPiper PA38
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191015019269A
- Case key
- 100413
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 the runway heading while taking off with a gusting tailwind, which resulted in impact with a fence.
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 reported that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane drifted left of the runway heading. He attempted to correct, but the airplane continued to drift left, impacted a fence, and came to rest in a horse corral. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff the airplane drifted left off runway heading. He attempted to correct, but the airplane continued to drift left, impacted a fence and came to rest in a horse corral. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot 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 220° at 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot reported that, about the time of the accident the wind was 330° at 11 knots. The airplane was departing from runway 08.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9708T
- Reported as
- Piper PA38 (112)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0164
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 3,463.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2019
- Departed
- FLY · Colorado Springs, CO
- Destination
- SAA · Saratoga, WY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FLY · Meadow Lake, runway 08, 2,074 × 35 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 609.5 total · 607.4 in this make and model · 569.5 as pilot in command · 55.5 in the last 90 days · 15.1 in the last 30 days · 4.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KFLY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 8, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.