- Date
- June 15, 1988, 20:30 local (Jun 16, 1988, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Wales, FL
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4379APiper PA-32R-301T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880615021219A
- Case key
- 32193
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 takeoff from the grass strip, the left main landing gear and wingtip collided with runway lights & a fencepost. The acft was slow to climb. After clearing trees at the departure end of the rwy, the acft descended below treetop level, then continued to the intended destination. During the landing roll the left main landing gear collapsed and the acft slid to a stop. Examination of the acft revealed tree twigs embedded in sections of the tail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4379A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-301T (PA-32R-301)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R8529013
- Airframe hours
- 392
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith, Roy V
- Registered owner
- Smith, Roy V.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 28, 1987 · 74 hours before
- Destination
- MLB · Melbourne, FL
- Airport
- X25 · Chalet Suzanne Air Strip, runway 36, 2,450 × 50 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
- 21
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 720 total · 120 in this make and model · 680 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL, 22 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.
Other investigations on N4379A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.