- Date
- July 11, 1996, 12:33 local (16:33 UTC)
- Place
- Salisbury, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N91493Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960711016689A
- Case key
- 28079
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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the takeoff roll, the airplane veered to the left and departed the runway. The student pilot stated that his attempt to regain directional control using the right rudder pedal was unsuccessful. The airplane veered off the runway, spun around, and the right main gear collapsed. Postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear bolt had failed. The right main landing gear bolt was examined further at the NTSB metallurgical laboratory. The examination revealed that the landing gear bolt failed as a result of tensile overstress.
Factual narrative
On July 11, 1996, at 1233 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N91493, veered off the runway during initial takeoff roll on runway 14 at Salisbury-Wicomico County Regional Airport, Salisbury, Maryland. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The solo instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Langhorne, Pennsylvania, at 0955, and was departing with an intended destination of Langhorne when the accident occurred.
The student pilot reported that he was attempting to takeoff on runway 14, and as the airplane approached takeoff speed, the airplane began to veer to the left. He said, "...I tried to give it right pedal, the landing gear was just barely touching the ground and was bouncing, I immediately pulled the throttle back when I [saw] I was getting near to the grass. I couldn't manage to correct...the aircraft touched the grass it spun completely around and as it did, it broke off the right main gear... ." At the time of the accident, winds were reported to be out of 060 degrees at 5 knots.
The airplane was examined at the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Safety Inspector. The Inspector stated that the right main landing gear bolt had failed. The right main landing gear bolt was transported to the NTSB Lab in Washington, DC, for further examination. The examination revealed that the right landing gear bolt failed as a result of tensile overstress.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91493
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-82A0041
- Airframe hours
- 4,569
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Flying Dutchman Air Svc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 1995 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- SBY · MD
- Destination
- N54 · Langhorne, PA
- Airport
- SBY · Wicomico County Regional, runway 14, 5,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 61 in this make and model · 15 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.