Piper PA32RT N313RB

Summary

On 30 May 2024 at about 16:17 local time, a Piper PA32RT registered N313RB was involved in an accident near Palmetto, Florida, 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

30 May 2024 at 16:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmetto, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Manatee Airport (48X)

Coordinates

27.6426, -82.5199

Aircraft

Piper PA32RT

Registration

N313RB

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Saint Petersburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA233

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper decision to re-attempt a takeoff with little runway remaining, after rejecting a takeoff in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway overrun at a higher speed and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot flew uneventfully to a nearby turf-runway airport to purchase fuel. He purchased 35 gallons and attempted to takeoff on runway 7, which was 3,120 ft long. About three-fourths down the runway during takeoff roll, the airspeed was increasing, but had not yet reached rotation speed. At that time, a gust of wind lifted the airplane 10 to 15 ft into the air, before it settled back on to the runway. The pilot initiated a rejected takeoff; however, he subsequently did not think the airplane would stop with 800 ft of runway remaining. He then decided to re-apply full power and try to become airborne again. The airplane traveled off the end of the runway and came to rest upright in an adjacent watermelon field, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at an airport located 9 miles away from the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 120° at 10 kts, gusting to 16 kts. Had the pilot continued the rejected takeoff, rather than initiate a second takeoff attempt with little runway remaining, the airplane may have traveled off the end of the turf runway and into the watermelon field, but it would have been at a much slower groundspeed, resulting in less or no damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.