- Date
- May 6, 1998, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Woodstock, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3900PPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980506008499A
- Case key
- 38513
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to establish a positive climb to outclimb obstacle (tree) and his decision to execute a takeoff with a tailwind.
Analysis
According to the pilot-in-command (PIC), after a local flight of about 1 hour, the two pilots decided to 'check-out' a grass strip that they had flown over. The grass runway was oriented north/south and they landed on runway 18. On approach, they noted that the runway was 'uphill.' After landing, they noted that the wind shocks indicated that the ground winds were 'calm.' They elected to depart on runway 36, and the PIC initiated a 'short' field takeoff. They crossed a road at the north end of the field, and the PIC stated, '...but [the airplane] did not clear the trees.' He said, '...we clipped the top of the first tree and the prop went through the second...we caught a larger tree on the inboard right wing.' The reported winds about 10 miles north of the crash site were from 150 degrees at 9 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 6, 1998, about 1800 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22-150, N3900P, registered to Air Group Inc., crashed during takeoff at a private airstrip, near Woodstock, Georgia, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 pleasure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airline transport-rated certified flight instructor and private-rated pilot/passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Marietta, Georgia, at 1700.
According to the pilot-in-command (PIC), after a local flight of about 1 hour, the two pilots decided to "check-out" a grass strip that they had flown over. The grass runway was oriented north/south and they landed on runway 18. On approach, they noted that the runway was "uphill." After landing, they noted that the wind socks indicated that the ground winds were "calm." They elected to depart on runway 36, and the PIC initiated a "short" field takeoff. They crossed a road at the north end of the field, and the PIC stated, "...but [the airplane] did not clear the trees." He said, "...we clipped the top of the first tree and the prop went through the second...we caught a larger tree on the inboard right wing."
The reported winds at Dobbins Airbase, Georgia, located about 10 miles north of the crash site were from 150 degrees at 9 knots.
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
- N3900P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-3568
- Airframe hours
- 3,957
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Group Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1997 · 169 hours before
- Departed
- RYY · Marietta, GA
- Destination
- VPC · Cartesville, GA
- Airport
- 5GA4 · Air Acres, runway 36, 2,000 × 100 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
- 65
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20,254 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGE, 10 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 N3900P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.