Piper PA 28-140 N6469W

Summary

On 21 February 2014 at about 00:30 local time, a Piper PA 28-140 registered N6469W, operated by Pivotal Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Saluda, South Carolina, 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

21 February 2014 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Saluda, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Saluda County (6J4)

Coordinates

33.9267, -81.7947

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-140

Registration

N6469W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1964

Engines

1

Operator

Pivotal Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saluda → Spartanburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA14CA172

Nobody was injured.

An inadvertent encounter with a deer during the takeoff roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot had completed the first leg of a night cross country flight and were departing back to their home airport. During the takeoff roll, a deer ran onto the runway, colliding with the airplane's right wing. The CFI assumed control of the airplane from the student and continued the takeoff, as inadequate runway distance remained to abort. Once airborne, the CFI did not note any flight control abnormalities, and elected to continue to the destination, where he landed the airplane without incident. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right wing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.