- Date
- October 30, 1994, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Nunda, NY
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9235JPiper PA-28-180C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941030048879A
- Case key
- 39060
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-in-command's failure to assure that an adequate runway length was available.
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 instructor, student pilot and two passengers boarded the airplane. The instructor elected to depart the 1500-foot grass strip with a 50-foot tree line at the departure end. The student pilot made the takeoff. During the takeoff, the airplane did not climb out of ground effect, and the instructor aborted the takeoff with the tree line approaching rapidly. The airplane collided with the ground during the aborted takeoff. According to the Pilot Operating Handbook, a minimum takeoff distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle on a paved, level, dry runway is 1625 feet.
Factual narrative
On October 30, 1994, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180C, N9235J, was substantially damaged when it collided with the ground during an aborted takeoff from a private strip near Nunda, New York. The flight instructor, dual student, and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight, and there was no flight plan for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The Federal Aviation Administration Inspector stated:
Instructor pilot elected to takeoff from 1500 foot grass strip with 35 [to] 50 foot treeline at the [departure] end. Student pilot (weight: approximately 210 pounds) was allowed to make the takeoff. His two daughters (approximately 90 pounds each) were in the back seat. Airplane got airborne, but never got out of ground effect. Instructor aborted takeoff with treeline rapidly approaching. Controlled collision with a mound resulted in substantial damage to airplane. No injuries. Instructor never reported accident to NTSB. Reexamination of instructor also scheduled.
According to the pilot operating handbook, a minimum takeoff distance to clear a 50 foot obstacle on a paved, level, dry runway was 1625 feet.
Additionally, the pilot was requested to complete a NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report. No such form was received.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9235J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3308
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Raymond J. Marshall
- Registered owner
- Sussex Airport Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
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 N9235J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.