- Date
- September 23, 1990, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Eliot, ME
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8664PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900923041489A
- Case key
- 36552
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 pilot's failure to abort the takeoff. Factors were the over weight condition, upsloping runway, premature rotation, and the pilot's lack of experience in type aircraft and general aviation operations.
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 airplane WA approximately 48 pounds over maximum gross weight and runway upslope was about 1/2 degree. Takeoff ground roll for 0 and 1 degree up was 1,075 and 1,214 ft respectively. Witnesses observed initial rotation attempted after approx 800 ft of roll. They also reported that the nose rose off of and went back down to the runway 2 or 3 times before the airplane became airborne at the end. Terrain descended at the end of the runway and the airplane roughly descended parallel to that downslope in ground effect to initial tree impact 390 feet later at 10 ft AGL. The airplane came to rest and was consumed by fire 561 ft from runway end. Although witnesses felt engine performance and acceleration were not optimum, no discrepancies were discovered. Most of the pilot's experience was in high performance USAF jets. He had 1 hour of dual in make and model prior to the accident and 3 known dual flights in civilian airplanes. The only runway used during this training was the 8,000 ft long.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8664P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4111
- Airframe hours
- 2,959
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Norfolk Navy Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Phillip A. Lee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 13, 1990 · 11 hours before
- Destination
- NGU · Norfolk,, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 3B4 · Littlebrook, runway 30, 2,500 × 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
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 4 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSM, 4 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 N8664P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.