1994-07-09: Piper PA-22-135 — Leavenworth, WA

Casualties unknown • Leavenworth, WA, US

Probable cause

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, THE RUNWAY CONDITION (WITH AREAS OF SOFT OR UNEVEN TERRAIN AND TALL GRASS), AND OBSTRUCTIONS (TREES) NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

THE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF FROM A ROUGH TURF AIRSTRIP THAT WAS 2400' IN LENGTH. THE RUNWAY HAD AREAS OF SOFT DIRT INTERSPERSED WITH AREAS OF GRASS THAT RANGED FROM 1 TO 8 INCHES IN HEIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE TREES WERE ABOUT 75' TALL; IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 50' ABOVE THE GROUND. CALCULATIONS SHOWED THAT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 4700', AND THAT WITH THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS, ABOUT 2213' TO 2616' OF RUNWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN NEEDED FOR THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1994-07-09 Piper PA-22-135 accident near Leavenworth, WA?

THE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF FROM A ROUGH TURF AIRSTRIP THAT WAS 2400' IN LENGTH. THE RUNWAY HAD AREAS OF SOFT DIRT INTERSPERSED WITH AREAS OF GRASS THAT RANGED FROM 1 TO 8 INCHES IN HEIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE TREES WERE ABOUT 75' TALL; IMPACT…

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1994-07-09 involved a Piper PA-22-135, registration N3645A, at Leavenworth, WA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, THE RUNWAY CONDITION (WITH AREAS OF SOFT OR UNEVEN TERRAIN AND TALL GRASS), AND OBSTRUCTIONS (TREES) NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001206X01861. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.

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