- Date
- November 12, 2007, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sedona, AZ
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3656RPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20071112827839A
- Case key
- 67090
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 inadequate compensation for the wind condition, which resulted in his failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Factors associated with the accident included the gusty crosswind condition and the taxiway sign.
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 private pilot reported that after reaching rotation speed of 60 miles per hour the nose lifted off the runway, "...but the plane felt sluggish and heavy, so I gently eased the nose back down and decided to let the aircraft pick up more airspeed." The pilot stated that after a few seconds the airspeed began to increase again, "...so I released back pressure again, and I felt the aircraft begin to climb." The pilot revealed that at this point [the airplane] was "hit" by a sudden gust of wind causing it to be blown to the left of the runway. The airplane subsequently impacted a taxiway sign before impacting the ground and coming to rest upright about 100 to 200 feet off the left side of runway 03. The pilot reported the wind at the time of the accident was from 150 degrees at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that after reaching rotation speed of 60 miles per hour the nose lifted off the runway, "...but the plane felt sluggish and heavy, so I gently eased the nose back down and decided to let the aircraft pick up more airspeed." The pilot stated that after a few seconds the airspeed began to increase again, "...so I released back pressure again, and I felt the aircraft begin to climb." The pilot revealed that at this point [the airplane] was "hit" by a sudden gust of wind causing it to be blown to the left of the runway. The airplane subsequently impacted a taxiway sign before impacting the ground and coming to rest upright about 100 to 200 feet off the left side of runway 03. The pilot reported the wind at the time of the accident was from 150 degrees at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3656R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-5760
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John C. Wi
- Registered owner
- Robert Cloutier
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SEZ · Sedona, AZ
- Destination
- RYB · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- SEZ · Sedona Airport, runway 03, 5,129 × 100 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 62 total · 4 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
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 N3656R · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.