Piper PA-32R-300 N38448

Summary

On 15 July 2010 at about 13:45 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N38448 was involved in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. 5 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

15 July 2010 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Petersburg, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Albert Whitted Airport (SPG)

Coordinates

27.7683, -82.6242

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N38448

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Petersburg → Governors Harbo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10CA368

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's loss of directional control while taking off with a crosswind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff the airplane began to slow down. He leveled the wings to maintain speed, but it continued to decrease. Shortly thereafter, the pilot noticed a slight crosswind, but did not correct too aggressively in an effort to avoid hitting the right wing tip on the runway. The pilot decided to abort the takeoff and the airplane touched down in the grass adjacent to the runway. The airplane continued into a dry pond, incurring substantial damage to the left wing. The weight and balance and performance calculations for the airplane revealed that at takeoff the airplane was near the maximum gross weight with a slightly forward center of gravity. Weather recorded at the airport about the time of the accident indicated that there was a 5-knot crosswind. The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.