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Casualties unknown

Two Pilots Strike Trees During Grass Strip Departure (N3900P)

Woodstock, GA, US

On May 6, 1998, a Piper PA-22-150 (registration N3900P) was involved in an aviation accident near Woodstock, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to establish a positive climb to outclimb obstacle (tree) and his decision to execute a takeoff with a tailwind. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

Pilot-in-command reported that after a local flight, two pilots attempted a short field takeoff from a grass strip, struck trees at the north end of the field, damaging the aircraft.

Incident Details

According to the pilot-in-command (PIC), after a local flight of approximately one hour, the two pilots decided to check out a grass strip they had flown over. The grass runway was oriented north/south, and they landed on runway 18. During the approach, they observed that the runway was uphill. After landing, wind shocks indicated that the ground winds were calm.

They elected to depart on runway 36. The PIC initiated a short field takeoff. The aircraft crossed a road at the north end of the field. The PIC reported, "...but [the airplane] did not clear the trees." He further stated, "...we clipped the top of the first tree and the prop went through the second...we caught a larger tree on the inboard right wing."

Winds

The reported winds about 10 miles north of the crash site were from 150 degrees at 9 knots.

More accident analyses

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001211X10150. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.