No fatalities

8 Jul 2013: PIPER PA-28-151 — Bronston, KY

Bronston, KY, United States

On 8 Jul 2013, a PIPER PA-28-151 was involved in an aviation accident near Bronston, KY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s reduced climb performance due to density altitude, as well as the pilot’s decision to initiate the takeoff from… 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

A pilot attempted a soft-field takeoff from a wet, soggy turf runway with tall grass. After becoming airborne, the aircraft struck trees, stalled, and impacted an open field, resulting in substantial left wing damage and a post-crash fire.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported attempting a soft-field takeoff from a turf runway described as extremely wet and soggy with tall grass. The airplane became airborne approximately halfway down the 2,500-foot-long runway. According to the pilot, climb performance was degraded due to hot weather conditions.

Sequence of Events

During the climb, the left landing gear impacted a line of trees located past the runway end. The pilot stated that he was unable to maintain airspeed, and the airplane subsequently stalled and impacted an open field. The left wing sustained substantial damage, and the fuselage was consumed by a post-crash fire.

Aircraft and Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. No other details about the aircraft type, registration, or pilot were provided in the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

Airspeed — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on equipmentDecision related to condition