Piper PA-28-151 N181BW

Summary

On 3 July 2021 at about 17:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-151 registered N181BW was involved in an accident near Pottsboro, Texas, 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

3 July 2021 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Pottsboro, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Nuggs Flying M Airport (TE68)

Coordinates

33.7672, -96.6841

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-151

Registration

N181BW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Denison

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA306

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s degraded performance from the rough, grass runway surface and the pilot’s delayed decision to abort the takeoff resulting in a runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passenger planned to complete a combined short and soft field takeoff from a very rough grass runway, 2,375 ft in length. The pilot reported that she conducted a preflight inspection, calculated the airplane’s performance, and obtained weather information.   During the takeoff roll, the engine instruments “were in the green”, but the airplane did not gain airspeed as the pilot expected. The pilot initially reported that she realized the airplane wasn’t going to clear the trees, so she attempted to abort the takeoff. However, the airplane continued past the end of the runway and impacted several small trees before coming to a stop. She added that they lifted off in ground effect but had a decrease in power and landed back on the ground past the end of the runway. An inspection of the airplane noted the right wing had separated from the fuselage and the left wing had substantial damage about mid-span.   Data extracted from the airplane’s engine monitor revealed one file that corresponded with the accident flight. A review of the data noted that the engine rpm increased from about 2,260 to 2,330 for a period of 30 seconds before sudden drop in engine rpm, and just before the data ended. During an engine examination and test run, the engine started without hesitation or delay. Full throttle was applied, and the engine responded accordingly.   After the test run, the corresponding data were again extracted from the engine monitor. A review of the data noted the maximum engine rpm increased during the test from about 2,200 rpm to a high of 2,323 rpm, before the throttle was reduced. No abnormalities were noted during the engine test and the engine appeared to make rated power. A review of the airplane’s performance tables indicated the takeoff roll could be 1,400 to 1,800 ft on a paved, level runway at maximum gross weight. The handbook’s data did not contain correction factors for a takeoff on a grass or rough surface runway.   Based on available evidence, it’s likely that the pilot did not get performance she expected during the takeoff from the rough, grass runway and aborted the takeoff too late to stop on the remaining runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.