- Date
- March 6, 2020, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Twin Falls, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N41429Piper PA28R
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200306006409A
- Case key
- 101034
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 loss of directional control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a runway approach light.
Findings · 5
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 pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll with an 80° left crosswind of 18 knots, gusting to 24 knots, the airplane unexpectedly became airborne due to a wind gust. The airplane drifted off the right side of the runway, so the pilot aborted the takeoff and landed on dirt, closed the throttle, and applied braking. As the airplane continued forward, its right wing impacted a runway approach light, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll with a reported 80° left crosswind of 18 knots, with gusts to 24 knots, the airplane unexpectedly became airborne due to a wind gust. The pilot aborted the takeoff when the airplane drifted off the right side of the runway, and landed in the dirt, closed the throttle and applied braking. As the airplane continued forward its right wing collided with a runway approach light, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41429
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R (200)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7435180
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 5,302.4
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-CIC, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 2019 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- KTWF · Twin Falls, ID
- Destination
- K06U · Jackpot, NV
- Airport
- KTWF · Joslin Field - Magic Valley Re, runway 26, 8,703 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 358 total · 283 in this make and model · 358 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KTWF
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 21, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.