- Date
- July 24, 1989, 16:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Vashon, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8402CPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890724025179A
- Case key
- 41054
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 preflight planning/preparation. Factors related to the accident were: unfavorable wind conditions, high obstructions (trees), and soft terrain where the aircraft touched down during the aborted takeoff.
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 plt rprtd that during takeoff, he rotated the acft at about midpoint on the 1950' strip. After the acft climbed about 30' AGL, the stall warning horn began to activate steadily. The eng sounded normal, but the plt believed the acft would not clear trees at the end of the strip. He elected to abort the takeoff & to land in a open field to the left of the strip. During the landing on soft terrain, the nose & main gear collapsed. The plt rprtd the wind sock indication varied from what he noted at the acdnt location.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8402C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7625112
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tomie L. Trotter
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Destination
- 0S9 · Port Townsend, WA
- Airport
- 2S1 · Vashon, runway 35, 1,940 × ft, gravel
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 361 total · 288 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 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 N8402C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.