No fatalities

15 Jul 2010: PIPER PA-32R-300 — St. Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg, FL, United States

On 15 Jul 2010, a PIPER PA-32R-300 was involved in an aviation accident near St. Petersburg, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of directional control while taking off with a crosswind. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

The pilot aborted takeoff after the airplane slowed about 5 feet above the ground, touched down in grass, and struck a dry pond, causing substantial left wing damage. No injuries occurred.

Accident Details

The pilot of a single-engine airplane reported that during takeoff from runway 7, approximately 5 feet above the ground, the airplane began to slow down. He leveled the wings to maintain speed, but the airspeed continued to decrease. At that time, the pilot noticed a slight crosswind from the south but did not correct aggressively to avoid striking the right wingtip on the runway. He decided to abort the takeoff but allowed the airplane to drift over the runway lighting. The airplane subsequently touched down in the grass to the left of the runway and continued into a dry pond, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing.

Occupant Injuries

The pilot and four passengers sustained no injuries in the accident.

Weight and Balance

Weight and balance and performance calculations for the airplane on the day of the accident, based on the information provided by the pilot, indicated the airplane was near maximum gross weight and slightly forward of the center of gravity limitations at startup.

Weather Conditions

Weather recorded at the airport around the time of the accident included winds from 160 degrees true at 5 knots and a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius.

Mechanical Condition

The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot