Summary
On August 31, 2010, a Piper PA-28-140 (N3969K) was involved in an incident near Anderson, IN. All 3 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 abort the takeoff due to degraded airplane performance.
The pilot reported that he was giving a "discovery flight." After takeoff from the 3400 foot runway, the airplane did not continue to climb or gain altitude. According to the pilot the airplane started to sink and he lowered the airplane's nose. The airplane continued to sink and it sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain. The pilot's accident report listed no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the accident flight. The calculated local density altitude was 3,099 feet.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA518. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3969K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to abort the takeoff due to degraded airplane performance.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was giving a "discovery flight." After takeoff from the 3400 foot runway, the airplane did not continue to climb or gain altitude. According to the pilot the airplane started to sink and he lowered the airplane's nose. The airplane continued to sink and it sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain. The pilot's accident report listed no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the accident flight. The calculated local density altitude was 3,099 feet.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA518