- Date
- April 13, 1983, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- West Chester, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2943FPiper PA-28RT-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830413044919A
- Case key
- 35170
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
The plt reported that during the takeoff roll, some oscillation in the controls for the nosewheel steering was noted. At about 45 KTS, he applied back pressure to lighten the load on the nosewheel as he had done in the past. He reported that since he was only 65 inches tall, his forward visibility was restricted after back pressure was applied. At rotation speed, he caught a glimpse of construction equipment ahead. He tried to lift off & clear over the equipment, but about 1 second after rotating, he heard a noise that sounded like the nose gear locking in place. He continued the climb & was advised that the left wing tip had struck the equipment. He returned to the airport & landed without further incident. Reportedly, the acft struck a piece of ditch digging equipment that had been parked aprx 8 ft from the left edge of the rwy.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2943F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201 (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24R918232
- Airframe hours
- 984
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Queen City Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 1983 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- N99 · West Chester, PA
- Destination
- 1N9 · Allentown, PA
- Airport
- N99 · Brandywine, runway 27, 3,010 × 50 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 252 total · 6 in this make and model · 170 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °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.