- Date
- August 22, 1993, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ilwaco, WA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8267PPiper PA-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930822030089A
- Case key
- 41753
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 pre-flight planning, and his attempt to take off with the aircraft over gross weight.
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, who did not perform weight and balance calculations prior to takeoff, attempted a takeoff in an aircraft that was over the allowable maximum gross weight. The aircraft lifted off twice, but would not climb, and the pilot elected to abort. His stopping distance was extended because he had trouble bringing the vernier type throttle to the idle position. When the aircraft ran off the end of the runway, the pilot steered it onto a nearby road, but he impacted a tree while avoiding an oncoming auto.
Factual narrative
On August 22, 1993, at approximately 1145 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Piper PA-24-180, N8267P, impacted trees during an attempted aborted takeoff at Ilwaco Airport, Ilwaco, Washington. The FAA certificated private pilot and his three passengers where not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft, which was operating in visual meteorological conditions, was departing on a personal pleasure flight when the accident occurred. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene, the pilot attempted a takeoff on the 2,000 foot long strip in an aircraft that was approximately 100 pounds over maximum allowable gross weight.
According to the pilot, the aircraft lifted off, settled back to the runway, and lifted off again. At that point he decided to abort, but was unable to get the vernier type throttle to the idle position as quickly as he wanted, and the aircraft ran off the end of the runway. While decelerating, he turned the aircraft down a nearby road, but impacted a tree while attempting to avoid an oncoming auto.
In a post-accident phone interview, an FAA inspector asked the pilot if he had performed a weight and balance calculation prior to the attempted takeoff, and the pilot answered that he had not done so. In response to further questioning, the pilot told the inspector that at the time of the accident, he did not know the actual empty weight nor allowable gross weight for the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8267P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3520
- Airframe hours
- 1,751
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aircraft Equipment Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 1993 · 26 hours before
- Airport
- WA27 · Ilwaco Landing Strip, runway 10, 2,000 × 60 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 48 in this make and model · 226 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.