Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ERA11FA348
PIPER PA-28-140 — Guntersville, AL
| Date | June 18, 2011 |
| Location | Guntersville, AL |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-28-140 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 52 |
| Pilot total time | 500 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 200 hrs |
| Fatalities | 3, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Incorrect use/operation - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Maximum weight-Capability exceeded - F
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Weight/balance calculations-Pilot - F
What happened
Several witnesses reported observing the airplane become airborne about two-thirds of the way down the departure runway. It then pitched up to a nose-high attitude of at least 20 degrees, leveled off about 40 feet above ground level, pitched up again to about the same pitch attitude, and subsequently descended behind a tree line with a high sink rate. Another witness reported seeing the airplane come over the tree line behind his residence and impact the ground in a nose-low attitude. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The witness observations are consistent with the pilot attempting to climb at too steep a pitch angle, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. According to calculations, the airplane’s weight was about 110 pounds over the maximum allowable takeoff weight, which would have resulted in reduced climb performance.