Piper PA-28-140 N1803T

Summary

On 18 June 2011 at about 14:50 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N1803T, operated by Aviation Unlimited Inc, was involved in an accident near Guntersville, Alabama, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 June 2011 at 14:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Guntersville, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Guntersville Municipal Airport (8A1)

Coordinates

34.3886, -86.2697

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N1803T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aviation Unlimited Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Guntersville → Destin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11FA348

3 people died.

The pilot's excessive pitch attitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the takeoff initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to comply with weight and balance limitations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Several witnesses reported observing the airplane become airborne about two-thirds of the way down the departure runway. It then pitched up to a nose-high attitude of at least 20 degrees, leveled off about 40 feet above ground level, pitched up again to about the same pitch attitude, and subsequently descended behind a tree line with a high sink rate. Another witness reported seeing the airplane come over the tree line behind his residence and impact the ground in a nose-low attitude. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The witness observations are consistent with the pilot attempting to climb at too steep a pitch angle, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. According to calculations, the airplane’s weight was about 110 pounds over the maximum allowable takeoff weight, which would have resulted in reduced climb performance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.