Piper PA-28-180 N24JN

Summary

On 21 March 2021 at about 12:35 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N24JN, operated by Brandywine Flight School, was involved in an accident near West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was 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 March 2021 at 12:35

Classification

Accident

Location

West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Brandywine Rgnl (OQN)

Coordinates

39.9900, -75.5786

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N24JN

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Brandywine Flight School

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA161

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with airport lights and a hangar.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while on his takeoff roll, the airplane veered to the left of the runway centerline when he glanced down to check the instruments. He corrected with right rudder to return to the center; however, he overcorrected and then added left rudder. Before he was able to correct, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and struck the precision approach path indicator lights, which breached the left fuel tank and ignited a fire in the left wing. The airplane subsequently crossed a taxiway, travelled down an embankment, and impacted a maintenance hangar. The pilot egressed through the right cockpit door and was able to extinguish the fire. The airplane’s left wing was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.