- Date
- July 29, 1998, 12:52 local (16:52 UTC)
- Place
- Salem, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N32583Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980729040029A
- Case key
- 45187
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 adequate altitude/clearance from the reeds. A related factor was the wind gusts.
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
The airplane collided with 10 foot tall, dense swamp reeds, 100 feet beyond the departure end of the runway shortly after takeoff. The airplane rotated 180 degrees, struck tail first and ended up inverted in the swamp. According to the pilot, his airspeed during climb out was 'normal' at 70 knots. He said he cleared the end of the 2,300 foot long, grass runway, when a gust of wind (wind shear) caused the airplane to drop about 10 to 15 feet. He said there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane or the engine.
Factual narrative
On July 29, 1998, at 1252 eastern daylight time, N32583, a Piper PA-28-140, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain shortly after takeoff from the Salem Airport, Salem, New Jersey. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The intended destination was Troy, New York.
According to the pilot, his airspeed during climb out was "normal" at 70 knots. He said he cleared the end of the 2,300 foot long, grass runway, when a gust of wind (wind shear) caused the airplane to drop about 10 to 15 feet. The airplane struck 10 foot tall, dense swamp reeds, 100 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. He said, "the airplane rotated 180 degrees, struck tail first and ended up inverted in swamp."
Due to the inaccessibility of the wreckage, and lack of examination, a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector initially classified it as an incident; however, an aerial examination later revealed that the fuselage was broken in half, and it was then upgraded to an accident on October 5, 1998.
According to a Piper PA-28-140 airplane flight manual, the takeoff distance Vs density altitude at a density altitude of 2,000 feet required a ground run of 900 feet. The distance to clear a 50 foot obstacle would be about 2,000 feet.
The pilot reported over 1,210 hours of total flight experience. He said that there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane or the engine. He said the reported winds at the time of the accident were from the southwest at 6 to 10 knots, with gusts to 12 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32583
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7525087
- Airframe hours
- 2,800
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas F Zimmie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 30, 1997 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- 27N
- Destination
- 5B7 · Rensselaer, NY
- Airport
- 27N · Salem Airport, runway 33, 2,200 × 180 ft, grass/turf
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,210 total · 530 in this make and model · 1,140 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILG, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.