N8267P

On August 22, 1993, at approximately 1145 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Piper PA-24-180, N8267P, impacted trees during an attempted aborted takeoff at Ilwaco Airport, Ilwaco, Washington. The FAA certificated private pilot and his three passengers where not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft, which was operating in visual meteorological conditions, was departing on a personal pleasure flight when the accident occurred. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.

According to the FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene, the pilot attempted a takeoff on the 2,000 foot long strip in an aircraft that was approximately 100 pounds over maximum allowable gross weight.

According to the pilot, the aircraft lifted off, settled back to the runway, and lifted off again. At that point he decided to abort, but was unable to get the vernier type throttle to the idle position as quickly as he wanted, and the aircraft ran off the end of the runway. While decelerating, he turned the aircraft down a nearby road, but impacted a tree while attempting to avoid an oncoming auto.

In a post-accident phone interview, an FAA inspector asked the pilot if he had performed a weight and balance calculation prior to the attempted takeoff, and the pilot answered that he had not done so. In response to further questioning, the pilot told the inspector that at the time of the accident, he did not know the actual empty weight nor allowable gross weight for the aircraft.