Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-18 near Pilot Mountain, NC — 2012-04-29

Final reportERA12LA309
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Date
2012-04-29
Location
Pilot Mountain, NC, USA
Airport
NONE
Aircraft
PIPER PA-18
Registration
N5769D
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff in a timely manner. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s reduced takeoff performance.

NTSB narrative

The retired airline pilot attempted to take off in his classic single-engine airplane from a dry, 1,900-foot-long turf airstrip. After liftoff, the pilot thought that the airplane would not clear transmission wires beyond the departure end of the runway. The pilot attempted to fly under the lowest wire, about 20 feet above the ground, but one wing caught the wire, and the airplane impacted the ground. No preexisting mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane, and leading edge damage to both propeller blades indicated that the engine was producing power at impact. Although there was a discrepancy between the accident time as noted by the pilot and the approximate time noted by local authorities, there was a quartering tailwind at both times, ranging in velocity from 3 to 6 knots. In addition, temperatures and dew points from both times indicated a probability of carburetor ice formation during the pilot's reported 4 to 5 minutes of low-power taxi prior to takeoff. The extent to which a tailwind, carburetor ice, or some other phenomena might have singularly or cumulatively affected takeoff and climb performance could not be determined. However, it is likely that diminished performance existed throughout the airplane's takeoff roll, which should have allowed the pilot ample time to recognize it and to safely abort the takeoff in a timely manner.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff after noticing engine not developing full power.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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