Piper PA-28-140 N5892W
24 May 1997 · Arcadia, Indiana, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 24 May 1997 at about 01:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N5892W was involved in an accident near Arcadia, Indiana, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Arcadia, Indiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.1697, -86.0198
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140
- Registration
- N5892W
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- CHI97LA144
People
3 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
improper planning/decision by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's selection of the wrong runway for takeoff, and the resultant tailwind.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot made a downwind takeoff from a sod runway that was 2,500 feet long. The sod runway was not lighted, nor were there any reflective devices marking the threshold or runway edges. According to the pilot, the airplane became airborne about midfield and did not gain altitude or airspeed as fast as he thought it should. Subsequently, the airplane collided with trees and terrain about 1/2-mile from the departure end of the runway. The airplane was destroyed by the collision and a post-collision fire. The pilot said he took off downwind because he did not believe a 7 knot quartering tailwind would be a factor since it was 'slight.' An on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe that would prevent normal operations. A drug screen performed by the hospital on a sample of the pilot's urine, obtained 10 days after the accident, indicated 'THC presumptive' and did not distinguish between tetrahydrocannabinol (the active component of marijuana) and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (an inactive metabolite of marijuana). Marijuana was found in a coat that was in the airplane. The pilot said the coat belonged to the former owner.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Feb 1997 | Piper PA-28 | Mulege, Mexico | Aabas Flying Club | No injuries | - |
| 14 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-28-160 | Pickens, South Carolina, United States | Chester D. Maynard | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-28 | Nelson, Canada | California Planners and Consul | Fatal | 4 |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Leadville, Colorado, United States | Michael S. Luther | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-28-181 | Leadore, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Mar 1997 | Piper PA-28-161 | Sanford, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul 1997 | Niquette PIETENPOL GN-1 | Lake Village, Indiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Auburn, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 1997 | Taylorcraft L2A | Shelbyville, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1997 | Stinson 108 | Greenfield, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Aug 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-26E | Zionsville, Indiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1997 | Cessna 150F | Gary, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |