- Date
- March 21, 2010, 10:37 local (17:37 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N428PAPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100321030389A
- Case key
- 75561
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 flight instructor's failure to attain and maintain adequate airspeed while demonstrating a soft-field takeoff.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor was demonstrating a soft-field takeoff to his student. During the takeoff roll, he applied full back pressure on the yoke, heard the stall horn, and lowered the nose. As the aircraft left the ground, the flight instructor heard the stall horn a second time. The airplane's right wing began to rise as the aircraft reached an estimated altitude of 20 feet above ground level. The flight instructor checked that the throttle was full forward, but the airplane would not accelerate. As the airplane continued to turn left it departed the left side of the runway and the left wing impacted a runway information sign. The airplane came to a stop in the grass off the left side of the runway. The left wing's forward spar was damaged and the left fuel tank was ruptured. The right wing's outer 4 feet (estimated) was bent up and the engine's firewall was wrinkled.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor was demonstrating a soft field takeoff to his student. During the takeoff roll, he applied full back pressure on the yoke; he heard the stall horn and he lowered the nose. As the aircraft left the ground, the flight instructor heard the stall horn a second time. The airplane's right wing began to rise as the aircraft reached an estimated altitude of 20 feet above ground level. The flight instructor checked that the throttle was full forward, but the airplane would not accelerate. As the airplane continued to turn left, it departed the left side of the runway, and the left wing impacted a runway information sign. The airplane came to a stop in the grass off the left side of the runway. The left wing's forward spar was damaged and the left fuel tank was ruptured. The right wing's outer 4 feet (estimated) was bent up and the engine's fire wall was wrinkled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N428PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843476
- Airframe hours
- 9,350
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bird Acquisition LLC, doing business as TransPac Aviation Academy
- Registered owner
- Bird Acquisition LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 11, 2010
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley Arpt, runway 07R, 8,197 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 17, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 562 total · 70 in this make and model · 70 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 38 in this make and model · 38 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- DVT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 14, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.