Piper PA-28-161 N3572Z

Summary

On 17 April 1983 at about 02:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N3572Z was involved in an accident near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

17 April 1983 at 02:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Bordelon (LA05)

Coordinates

30.2710, -91.9005

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N3572Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → New Orleans

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW83LA190

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF AT NIGHT FROM AN UNLIT TURF STRIP. JUST BEFORE THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF, TWO SETS OF VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIRECTED DOWN BOTH SIDES OF THE RNWY TO HELP THE PILOT IN THE TAKEOFF. ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RNWY, APRX 1500 FEET DOWN, WAS A GROUP OF BUSHES FROM 10 TO 30 FEET TALL. THE GRASS ON THE RUNWAY WAS ABOUT 8 INCHES TALL AND WET. THE EDGES OF THE RUNWAY WERE NOT EASY TO DETERMINE, THUS HE STARTED HIS TAKEOFF ROLL TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. USING SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF TECHNIQUE HE ROTATED AT ABOUT 20 KTS LIMITING HIS FORWARD VISIBILITY. AT ABOUT 40-45 KTS THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE BUSHES CAUSING HIM TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE ACFT LEFT THE RNWY, SPUN 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO REST IN A PLOWED FIELD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.