N3849T – Piper PA28R – 2019-12-31 NTSB Accident Report

On December 31, 2019, a Piper PA28R (N3849T) was involved in an incident near Onaga, KS. 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 improper decision to take off with the airplane at a high gross weight from a short, turf runway, which degraded its climb performance and led to a delayed aborted takeoff, a runway excursion, and impact with terrain.

The private pilot and three passengers were attempting to depart from a 2,200 ft long turf runway. After lifting off the ground, the pilot observed the airplane not accelerating and it settled back to the ground. Concerned with clearing a shed off the end of the runway, the pilot aborted the takeoff and the airplane departed the runway into a valley, damaging both wings.

The takeoff performance chart for the airplane, which weighed close to its maximum gross weight, predicted a ground roll of 600 ft and a takeoff distance of 1,600 ft. The chart was based on a dry runway and did not contain a correction for turf conditions. Following the accident, the pilot stated there were no mechanical issues with the airplane and that he should not have attempted to takeoff on the short turf runway.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN20CA052. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3849T.