Piper PA-38-112 N2539K

Summary

On 2 December 2009 at about 13:05 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2539K, operated by Velazquez Ramon L, was involved in an accident near Patillas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 December 2009 at 13:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Patillas, United States

Nearest airport

Patillas Airport (X64)

Coordinates

17.9822, -66.0192

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N2539K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Velazquez Ramon L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Patillas → Ceiba

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10CA090

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain clearance from a tree.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he conducted a preflight inspection before taking off from the paved, 2,000-foot runway. The takeoff was "normal," but the airplane's climb rate was "not enough to clear trees" at the end of the runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane lifted off about 1,500 feet down the runway. The airplane's right wing subsequently hit a tree located to the right of the runway and sustained substantial damage. The inspector also reported no mechanical anomalies and confirmed compression on all engine cylinders. Photographs of the tree indicated that it was about 50 feet beyond and 50 feet to the right of the runway. Straight out and to the left of runway provided a relatively clear pathway. Using the ambient weather conditions, including a 6-knot headwind, the only takeoff performance data available in the pilot's operating handbook indicated that the airplane's takeoff distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle should have been approximately 1,450 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.