Accident Overview
On July 18, 2008, at about 2230 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, registration N2133V, sustained substantial damage during an aborted takeoff at the Sparta/Fort McCoy Airport (CMY) in Sparta, Wisconsin. The aircraft departed runway 11 and came to rest off the departure end. The pilot and two passengers were not injured; one passenger received serious injuries. The flight was a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91, departing from CMY with a destination of Dane County Regional Airport - Truax Field (MSN) in Madison, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that the flight originally departed from South St Paul Municipal Airport (SGS) in St Paul, Minnesota, at 2000, with MSN as the final destination. Before departure, he conducted a weight and balance, performance evaluation, preflight, and received a standard weather briefing. After takeoff, he used VFR flight following and en route in-flight weather service. He landed at CMY for fuel and a weather update, filling the tanks to 28 gallons total via visual inspection. After another preflight that included sumping the fuel tanks, he conducted a full power engine run with brakes held at the threshold of runway 29. The engine performed normally during the full power ground roll as airspeed increased. The pilot stated, "Entering ground effect in order to achieve airspeed for safe climb performance I observed only partial power." He lowered the nose and applied brakes, but the airplane went off the end of runway 29 at about 15 mph. The terrain sloped downward about 15 degrees, and the grass was wet with dew. The airplane was unable to stop before the landing gear collapsed and the wing spar bent.
A firefighter based at the Fort McCoy Airport Fire Station observed the airplane taxi to the JP-8 fueling pumps and subsequently to the civilian side for AVGAS. About 20 minutes later, he heard the airplane departing and saw it on the runway traveling west to east. He reported that it seemed to take longer than usual to lift off, and after passing the painted numbers, it slowed down and ran off the runway. The airport manager reported that the accident scene was off the departure end of runway 11. Emergency personnel transported the seriously injured passenger to the hospital. Items removed from the airplane included a tent, tent poles, backpacks, groceries, blankets, pillows, sandals, a small cooler, and an unopened case of beer; these were not weighed. The seriously injured passenger reported bringing a tote bag weighing about 10 lbs and a blanket weighing about 5 lbs.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a single-engine Piper PA-28-161, serial number 28-7916323. Originally manufactured with a maximum gross weight of 2,325 lbs, a Supplemental Type Certificate increased it to 2,440 lbs. An FAA inspector examined the airplane on July 19, 2008, finding continuity of flight controls, no fuel water contamination, and brakes showing evidence of high temperature (smell, warping discs, discoloration). Flaps were retracted, control surface trims were in normal takeoff range, and the fuel selector was on the left tank. The left fuel tank was full to the top of the wing; the right tank had fuel about 1-2 inches from the top. The airplane was tilted about 4 degrees to the left. Fuel recovery yielded 24 gallons from the left tank and 15-20 gallons from the right tank. Fuel receipts showed the pilot had 23.19 gallons of fuel put on at CMY on the accident date.
The engine was run at the salvage facility with FAA oversight. Results: full power at 2,375 RPM, oil pressure and temperature good, throttle had plenty of travel but did not increase RPM. Magnetos dropped 100 RPM each side. The engine sounded smooth, but there was vibration from the prop. Factors affecting the engine run included a partially crushed carburetor air box, a disconnected inlet tube from the inlet filter, a slightly bent propeller, and the lower third of the propeller blowing against the trailer.
Weight and Balance
The FAA determined the weight at the accident site: empty aircraft 1,492 lbs, front seat passengers 405 lbs, rear seat passengers 295 lbs, fuel 39 gallons (234 lbs), baggage 60 lbs, total 2,486 lbs. The moment total was 227,603 inch lbs, with a CG of 91.6 inches. According to the operator's weight and balance chart, the CG forward limit was 83.0 inches and aft limit 93.0 inches. The Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II POH, Section 5, Performance Figure 5-5, shows expected ground roll for a 2,325-lb airplane at 1,000 ft pressure altitude and 70°F on a no-wind day with lift-off at 50 knots as about 1,300 feet.
Pilot Information
The pilot was a 23-year-old private pilot with a single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued July 6, 2005. He reported 317 total flight hours, with 111 hours in the PA-28-161. He had flown 34 hours in the last 90 days and 17 hours in the last 30 days, including 34 total night hours and 2 night hours in the last 30 days.