Summary
On November 12, 2007, a Piper PA-28-180 (N3656R) was involved in an incident near Sedona, AZ. All 4 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 inadequate compensation for the wind condition, which resulted in his failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Factors associated with the accident included the gusty crosswind condition and the taxiway sign.
The private pilot reported that after reaching rotation speed of 60 miles per hour the nose lifted off the runway, "...but the plane felt sluggish and heavy, so I gently eased the nose back down and decided to let the aircraft pick up more airspeed." The pilot stated that after a few seconds the airspeed began to increase again, "...so I released back pressure again, and I felt the aircraft begin to climb." The pilot revealed that at this point [the airplane] was "hit" by a sudden gust of wind causing it to be blown to the left of the runway. The airplane subsequently impacted a taxiway sign before impacting the ground and coming to rest upright about 100 to 200 feet off the left side of runway 03. The pilot reported the wind at the time of the accident was from 150 degrees at 4 knots.
This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA08CA026. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3656R.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind condition, which resulted in his failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Factors associated with the accident included the gusty crosswind condition and the taxiway sign.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The private pilot reported that after reaching rotation speed of 60 miles per hour the nose lifted off the runway, "...but the plane felt sluggish and heavy, so I gently eased the nose back down and decided to let the aircraft pick up more airspeed." The pilot stated that after a few seconds the airspeed began to increase again, "...so I released back pressure again, and I felt the aircraft begin to climb." The pilot revealed that at this point [the airplane] was "hit" by a sudden gust of wind causing it to be blown to the left of the runway. The airplane subsequently impacted a taxiway sign before impacting the ground and coming to rest upright about 100 to 200 feet off the left side of runway 03. The pilot reported the wind at the time of the accident was from 150 degrees at 4 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA08CA026