- Date
- April 9, 1993, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Oxford, MA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9349WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930409008909A
- Case key
- 37239
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 selection of the wrong runway for takeoff which resulted in not being able to obtain adequate airspeed for climbout. A factor which contributed to the accident was the tailwind.
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 was observed taking off with a tailwind. After it became airborne, the power was heard to be reduced, and the airplane bounced on the runway and returned to the air. Power was heard to come on full again, and the takeoff continued, with the airplane drifting left off the side of the runway in a nose high pitch attitude, and climbing slowly. As the airplane passed over trees, a witness saw the tail strike the top of some trees and then the airplane pitched nose down into the trees. The witness also stated that the southern windsock, near where the pilot initiated his takeoff, was steady at 3/4 full, and occasionally full. The pilot had earlier landed at the airport around noontime, and the landing was also downwind with the winds from the south at about 10 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9349W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-11037
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James M. Banas
- Registered owner
- James M. Banas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 1992
- Departed
- MA08
- Destination
- BDR · Bridgeport, CT
- Airport
- MA08 · Oxford, runway 2, 2,047 × 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 80 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORH, 7 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 N9349W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.