- Date
- April 25, 1985, 11:25 local (18:25 UTC)
- Place
- Felton, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N511FLPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850425016879A
- Case key
- 24704
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 preflight of the acft, the plt said he observed the wind conditions at the airport as from the north at about '5 to 10 KTS, which indicated a left crosswind. The airport is immediately surrounded by pine trees which average about 60 ft in height. Plt said that he was climbing at about '80 mph' following a normal shortfield takeoff when the acft encountered a 'violent down draft' at about 100 ft AGL. According to the plt, the downdeaft rolled the acft to a 90 degree left wing down attitude and he could not regain control prior to contacting trees off the left side of the runway. Ground witnesses on the airport said that the wings on the airport proper were 'almost calm', however at the tree top level were from the left at '10 KTS with gust to 15 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N511FL
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287125334
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John E. Fruits
- Registered owner
- William Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 1985 · 3 hours before
- Airport
- Bonnydune, runway 11, 2,400 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 192 in this make and model · 249 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.