PIPER PA-38-112 — Madison, IN

What happened

The private pilot had departed the airport in visual meteorological conditions, when, about ½ mile from the departure end of the runway, the airplane collided with a power transmission line support structure that was about 80 ft tall. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. There were no known witnesses to the accident, but a witness who saw the airplane take off stated that its altitude was low during the initial climb.

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. In the months before the accident, the pilot flew with a flight instructor on two separate occasions for a flight review. The instructor stated that the pilot's skills were "very rusty" and that the pilot had difficulty controlling the airplane's airspeed, pitch, and landing flare. The instructor did not endorse the pilot for a flight review and recommended that he receive additional dual instruction; however, it is unknown if the pilot followed this recommendation because his personal logbook was not located after the accident. Given the lack of preimpact mechanical anomalies, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain an appropriate climb rate after takeoff, which resulted in collision with the power line structure.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.