Takeoff & Initial Climb · NTSB CEN22LA303
PIPER PA-28-140 — Oklahoma City, OK
| Date | July 2, 2022 |
| Location | Oklahoma City, OK |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-28-140 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Loss of control in flight |
| Pilot age | 53 |
| Pilot total time | 391 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 40 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained
What happened
The pilot reported that after takeoff, as the airplane climbed above the height of the nearby houses, the airspeed and altitude began to decrease. Unable to climb, he allowed the airplane to drift to the right to avoid “putting anything in danger.” As he began a right turn, he lowered the nose to remain under transmission lines, but the airplane seemed to immediately “fall out of the sky.” The airplane subsequently impacted the ground and slid to a stop, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A calculation of the weight and balance revealed that the airplane was within both weight and center of gravity limitations.