- Date
- February 1, 1997, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sarasota, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N64TDPiper PA-30
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970201001119A
- Case key
- 38218
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles.
Analysis
The pilot had just landed at the private airport with the owner of the airplane. After landing the owner told the pilot to taxi back on the runway to his place that was off the other end of the runway. The pilot stated that he exited the runway on a grass taxiway that led into an 'aviation community.' The owner advised the pilot of various obstacles such as mailboxes and trees. When they got to the airplane owner's house/hangar, the owner got out, and pilot taxied back to the runway. The pilot made a wrong turn and was attempting to maneuver around a mailbox on one side of the airplane when the wing on the other side struck a tree and separated from the spar.
Factual narrative
On February 1, 1997, about 1300 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-30, N64TD, registered to Raptor Leasing Inc., was substantially damaged while taxiing, near Sarasota, Florida. The commercial-rated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed in the vicinity, and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight originated at Lakeland, Florida, at 1230, and was being conducted in accordance with Title 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot had just landed at the private airport with the owner of the airplane. After landing, the owner told the pilot to taxi back on the runway to his place that was off the other end of the runway. The pilot stated that he exited the runway on a grass taxiway that led into an "aviation community." The owner advised the pilot of various obstacles such as mailboxes and trees. When they got to the airplane owner's house/hanger, the owner got out, and the pilot taxied back to the runway. The pilot made a wrong turn and was attempting to maneuver around a mailbox on one side of the airplane, when the wing on the other side struck a tree and separated from the spar.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64TD
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-170
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George Carter
- Registered owner
- Raptor Leasing Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Airport
- Hidden River, runway 9, 2,600 × ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 40 in this make and model · 2,700 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.