Summary
On November 19, 1994, a Piper PA-28-140 (N1470T) was involved in an accident near Freeport, PA. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries, with 1 person uninjured out of 3 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE PILOT'S ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF IN AN OVERWEIGHT AIRPLANE, HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW APPROVED SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURES, NOT ATTAINING A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB, AND ATTEMPTING AN OPERATION BEYOND HIS EXPERIENCE LEVEL.
On November 19, 1994, at 1215 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N1470T, piloted by Mr. Gregory Mitchell, of Worthington, Pennsylvania, struck a fence and trees on takeoff from McVille Airport, Freeport, Pennsylvania. The airplane received substantial damage. The pilot was not injured, however, the two passengers received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight which operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
The FAA reported the pilot held a student pilot certificate. He had been signed off for a solo cross-country flight. The route of flight took the airplane across McVille airport; however, McVille airport was not on the approved routing for the flight.
This accident is documented in NTSB report NYC95LA032. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1470T.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF IN AN OVERWEIGHT AIRPLANE, HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW APPROVED SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURES, NOT ATTAINING A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB, AND ATTEMPTING AN OPERATION BEYOND HIS EXPERIENCE LEVEL.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On November 19, 1994, at 1215 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N1470T, piloted by Mr. Gregory Mitchell, of Worthington, Pennsylvania, struck a fence and trees on takeoff from McVille Airport, Freeport, Pennsylvania. The airplane received substantial damage. The pilot was not injured, however, the two passengers received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight which operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
The FAA reported the pilot held a student pilot certificate. He had been signed off for a solo cross-country flight. The route of flight took the airplane across McVille airport; however, McVille airport was not on the approved routing for the flight. The pilot landed at McVille airport, and boarded two passengers. He attempted a takeoff on runway 18, which was 2250 feet long and had a turf surface. The airplane got airborne, however, the pilot was unable to get a proper climb established.
The airplane overran the runway and went through a fence, settling to the ground three times. The terrain then sloped down and the airplane struck the tops of trees beyond the runway. The airplane came to rest nose down, in a wooded area.
When interviewed by the FAA, the pilot reported he used one notch of flaps, and the airplane flight manual recommended two notches of flaps for a short field takeoff. Gouges were reported in the turf runway, and in an open field past the departure end of the runway, similar to the tail skid on the airplane. Additionally, a check of the airplane weight and balance revealed the airplane was 59 lbs over its maximum takeoff gross weight.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC95LA032