N9670T – Piper PA-38-112 – 2007-02-04 NTSB Accident Report

On February 04, 2007, a Piper PA-38-112 (N9670T) was involved in an incident near Ontario, OR. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to obtain and maintain an airspeed above Vs after lifting off of a remote gravel airstrip. Factors include the pilot's failure to correctly understand the procedure to use for a soft-field takeoff.

During a takeoff from a remote airstrip of hard-packed gravel, the pilot held the control yoke in the full aft position during the entire takeoff roll. Due to the position of the control yoke, the aircraft used considerably more runway than it would have if the yoke had been in the near-neutral position. After lifting off approximately 1,600 feet down the 1,840 foot runway, the aircraft traveled about 300 more feet before settling into a reservoir that was just off the departure end of the runway. In the Operators Safety Recommendation section of the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot wrote "Better takeoff technique." There was no report of any engine or flight control problem.

This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA07CA057. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N9670T.