- Date
- May 27, 1997
- Place
- Tinian, Sark
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4510XPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970527011939A
- Case key
- 29800
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 improper takeoff abort. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper preflight planning and preparation.
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 pilot reported that the takeoff was normal. As he attempted to adjust the pitch attitude during climb out of ground effect, the control yoke locked in position and could not be moved fore or aft. He aborted the takeoff and porpoised the remaining 1,500 feet down the runway collapsing the nose landing gear. A postaccident examination by two FAA inspectors failed to find any type of control interference. The inspectors reported that the company station manager said the pilot had initially reported 'odd vibrations' just before the abort.
Factual narrative
On May 27, 1997, about 0905 hours local island time, a Piper PA-32-300, N4510X, operated by Pacific Island Aviation, Inc., was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff from the West Tinian Airport in the northern Mariana Islands. Neither the pilot nor the four passengers were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 135 flight and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was departing for Saipan.
According to the pilot, the takeoff was normal and after liftoff from runway 08, he could not move the control yoke forward or aft. He decided to abort and land straight ahead. The aircraft porpoised down the remaining 1,500 feet of runway collapsing the nose landing gear.
A postaccident examination of the aircraft by two FAA inspectors failed to find any type of control interference. The inspectors reported that the company station manager said the pilot had initially reported "odd vibrations" just before the abort.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4510X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7640031
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Pacific Island Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TNI · OF
- Destination
- PGSN · Saipan, OF
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- TNI · West Tinian Island, runway 8, 6,000 × 100 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 915 total · 27 in this make and model · 744 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TNI, 1 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.