Takeoff & Initial Climb · NTSB ERA09LA152
PIPER PA-18 -150 — Tallahassee, FL
| Date | February 1, 2009 |
| Location | Tallahassee, FL |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-18 -150 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Takeoff Ground collision |
| Pilot age | 54 |
| Pilot total time | 7,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 350 hrs |
| Fatalities | 0 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground vehicle-Decision related to condition
What happened
The pilot reported that he had previously performed a maneuver where a jeep and motorcycle would depart traveling down the runway, and he would then depart in the same direction and perform a low pass over them. On the day of the accident there was no briefing about the maneuver before the motorcycle, jeep, and he departed. The motorcycle departed first, followed by the jeep with two occupants, and finally the airplane. The pilot stated that he estimated he was flying at 75 mile-per-hour (mph) and the jeep was driving at 35 to 40 mph. He attempted to pass the right side of the jeep, but felt a bump and he knew he had hit the jeep. He also noticed the left wing navigation light was hanging down. He performed a 180-degree turn and landed on the runway, while the jeep veered off the runway and collided with trees. The pilot further reported there was no preimpact failure or malfunction with the flight controls. Toxicology testing performed on specimens obtained from the pilot after the accident was positive for 11-Nor 9 carboxy delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol 8.1 ng/mL, and negative for ethyl alcohol. The finding of carboxy tetrahydrocannabinol was consistent with the pilot having used marijuana within the previous days or weeks but it cannot be concluded that the use was contributory to the accident.