- Date
- April 14, 1997, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pickens, SC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5363WPiper PA-28-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970414005899A
- Case key
- 38263
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
failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll from a touch-and-go landing, which resulted in the airplane going off the side of the runway, down an embankment, and into brush/trees.
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 student pilot stated that he had completed his fifth touch-and-go landing and was taking off again. He said that just before reaching rotation speed, the right wing dropped down, and the airplane began to roll on the right main and nose landing gear, turning 45 degrees to the left. The aircraft went off the side of the runway, and subsequently, it went down an embankment into trees and brush, where it came to rest. Postcrash examination of the right landing gear strut showed it was extended above 2 inches and still had air pressure and fluid.
Factual narrative
On April 14, 1997, about 1845 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-160, N5363W, registered to a private individual, crashed when control was lost during takeoff at Pickens County Airport, Pickens, South Carolina, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the student-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated from Pickens, the same day, about 1750.
The pilot stated he had completed his fifth touch-and-go landing and was taking off again. Just before reaching rotation speed, the right wing dropped down. The airplane then began to roll on the right main and nose landing gear, and turned 45 degrees to the left. The aircraft went off the side of the runway and he reduced engine power. He did not apply brakes because the aircraft was still on the two wheels. The left main landing gear touched down just about the time the aircraft went down an embankment into trees and brush where it came to rest.
Postcrash examination of the right landing gear strut was performed by two mechanics. The strut was found to be holding air pressure and had no evidence of air leaks. The strut contained 2.5 ounces of hydraulic fluid and was extended above 2 inches. (See attached statements.)
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5363W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-428
- Airframe hours
- 2,884
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Chester D. Maynard
- Registered owner
- Thomas W. Huntsman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 22, 1996 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- LQK
- Airport
- LQK · Pickens County, runway 23, 5,000 × 100 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17 total · 17 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AND, 25 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.