- Date
- April 5, 1992, 17:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Paris, OH
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9741WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920405008919A
- Case key
- 37056
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control which resulted in the airplane flying over higher terrain with a climb rate that was insufficient to clear the obstacles. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's lack of total experience and the gusty cross wind.
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 pilot made the takeoff using one notch of flaps instead of the recommended two notches of flaps. He got airborne in ground effect and then accelerated to best rate of climb airspeed instead of using best angle of climb speed to clear obstacles as recommended. Once airborne, the airplane was struck by multiple gusty cross winds which blew the airplane toward higher terrain. The pilot said he corrected each time by lowering the nose and using aileron, however, the corrections were insufficient for the amount of wind that was present. The airplane struck a series of trees while climbing and then struck the ground. The pilot held a private pilot certificate, had less than 100 hours, and had received his license 2 months prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9741W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-22918
- Airframe hours
- 6,187
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James L. Mc Laughlin
- Registered owner
- Benjamin F. Roush
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 8, 1991 · 207 hours before
- Departed
- OH15
- Destination
- OH15
- Airport
- OH15 · Minerva, runway 1, 2,500 × 104 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 86 total · 86 in this make and model · 43 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CAK, 16 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.