WPR21LA319

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-140 · Panguitch, UT · August 13, 2021

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
August 12, 2021, 19:00 local (Aug 13, 2021, 01:00 UTC)
Place
Panguitch, UT
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N1651JPiper PA-28-140
Defining event
Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Adminsitration
FAA report
20210812018579A
Case key
103701

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The airplane’s inability to maintain altitude during the initial climb due to a degradation in the airplane’s performance due to high-density altitude conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to conduct preflight performance planning calculations.

Findings · 4

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.

Use of equip/info: use of equip/systemPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA-28-140: 16 casesAll aircraft: 1,391 casesProbable cause
Temp/humidity/pressure: high density altitudeEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operationPiper PA-28-140: 12 casesAll aircraft: 278 cases
Performance/control parameters: climb rateAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-140: 9 casesAll aircraft: 265 casesProbable cause

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, he conducted a maximum performance takeoff by adding full power and holding the brakes until engine RPM stabilized. The pilot released the brakes, and upon reaching rotation speed, the airplane drifted left. He maneuvered the airplane toward the runway centerline, and it touched down onto the runway briefly before it became airborne again. The airplane ascended to about 100 ft above ground level, before it began descending. The pilot stated that, there was no available runway remaining, so he initiated a forced landing to the uneven terrain ahead. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a fence and vegetation substantially damaging the fuselage. The pilot reported that prior to takeoff, he calculated the airplane’s weight with passengers and fuel, and determined it to be about 20 pounds under the maximum gross weight of the airplane. However, the pilot did not conduct preflight performance calculations prior to takeoff. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that if he took more time in preflight preparations, he would have noticed that the density altitude was too high to takeoff. The pilot operating handbook take-off distance vs. density altitude chart states “extrapolation of chart above 7,000 ft. [density altitude] is invalid. The calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was 9,000 ft mean sea level (msl).

Aircraft

Registration
N1651J
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-24044
Built
1968
Airframe hours
6,073.83
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Piper 140 LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · December 1, 2020
Airport
U55 · Panguitch Muni, runway 36, 5,700 × 75 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Stall warning system

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
38
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 1, 2020
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
9,429 total · 22 in this make and model · 7,106 as pilot in command · 171 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
200° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 43 °F
Altimeter
30.31 inHg
Observed at
KBCE, 14 nm away
METAR
KBCE 130053Z AUTO 20005KT 10SM FEW120 24/06 A3031 RMK AO2 SLP152 T02390061

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 N1651J · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.