- Date
- May 25, 1991, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Shelburne, VT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8433CPiper PA-28-151
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910525017249A
- Case key
- 36794
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
Premature lift-off by the pilot, which resulted in a subsequent stall/mush and collision with trees. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and the unfavorable wind condition.
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 took off from a 2500 ft grass strip with 3 adults on board. According to witnesses and one of the passengers, the airplane lifted off, then about halfway down the runway, it settled back onto the surface. The witnesses said that as the airplane got near the end of the runway, it lifted off again and started a slow climb. The passenger sitting in the right front seat said, '. . . We took off but the aircraft climbed very slowly and never really climbed out very high . . . We were in a slight right turn when we hit the trees . . .' The winds were light, but the passenger said, '. . . The direction of the wind was with our direction of flight . . .' About 15 miles north at burlington, VT, the wind was from 280 deg at 6 KTS. Performance charts showed that (for paved runway), 2600 ft would have been required to clear a 50 ft obstacle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8433C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7615108
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Walter A. Straub
- Registered owner
- Walter A. Straub
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- 9B3 · Shelburne Airpark, runway 19, 2,500 × 120 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
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 40 in this make and model · 21 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BTV, 15 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.