Piper PA-28-140 N311SB

Summary

On 23 June 2000 at about 22:18 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N311SB was involved in an accident near Bealeton, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 2000 at 22:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Bealeton, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Flying Circus (3VA3)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N311SB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Flying Circus → Orange County

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD00FA053

2 people died.

the flight instructor's improper pre-flight plan and decision to land and depart an airport with insufficient runway. A factor in the accident was the short grass runway with a 100-foot obstruction at the end.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and student pilot landed to the south on the north/south-aligned runway. The airplane then taxied to the end of the runway, turned, and departed to the north. The sod runway had grass about 3 to 4 inches high and was about 2,200 feet long. One hundred foot high power lines and 60-80 foot tall trees were at the immediate north end of the runway. A witness, who had heard the airplane land, then saw the airplane as it turned around at the departure end of the north runway. He was concerned when the airplane departed, since 'Cherokees do not fly well in and out of this airport.' He saw the airplane's wings rock back and forth after it became airborne, and feared the airplane would crash. The airplane struck the trees and crashed beyond the trees and power lines. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed that there were no mechanical discrepancies. Airplane performance data indicated that the airplane would have required about 2,100 feet of take-off distance on a hard surface to clear a 50-foot obstacle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.