Piper PA-28-161 N9419C

Summary

On 21 May 2006 at about 02:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N9419C was involved in an accident near Marietta, Oklahoma, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 May 2006 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Marietta, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

McGehee Catfish Restaurant (T40)

Coordinates

33.8917, -97.1683

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N9419C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marietta → Decatur

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DFW06CA132

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions and the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 175-hour private pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) that he taxied to runway 17, and completed a run-up. The pilot reported that "everything checked ok" and he proceeded with a takeoff. During the night takeoff run from the 2,450-foot long, by 55-foot wide turf runway, the landing light "blinked off." The pilot stated that despite the landing light going out he continued the takeoff run and rotated at 60 knots; however, he was concerned "about the trees at the end of the runway, so he was trying to get all the lift he could." The pilot reported that he did not hear the "stall alarm," but thought he might have stalled the airplane. The pilot also reported that the single-engine airplane with its three passengers was over its gross weight limit by approximately 135 pounds. The airplane's takeoff performance chart reveals that in order to clear a 50-foot obstacle, the takeoff distance would be about 2,300 feet, with a dry, paved runway at gross weight. Additionally, the density altitude was calculated by the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) to be 3,038 feet. At 2049, the automated weather observing system at the nearest airport with recorded weather, located approximately 15 miles north of the accident site, reported wind from 180 degrees at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, a clear sky, temperature 86 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 66 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 29.83 inches of Mercury.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.