Accident Overview
On July 8, 2015, at approximately 1515 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 airplane, registration N3949K, sustained substantial damage after colliding with trees and an embankment during takeoff from a private airstrip in Oakdale, Louisiana. The private pilot, who was also the registered owner, and a passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, and no instrument flight plan had been filed. The intended destination was Livingston Municipal Airport (00R) in Livingston, Texas.
Runway and Environmental Factors
The departure was from runway 05, a dirt runway approximately 1,130 feet in length. Trees were located about 525 feet from the departure end of runway 05. Weather conditions reported at Allen Parish Airport, about 10 miles south-southwest of the accident site, included winds from 200 degrees at 7 knots. With a departure on runway 05, the airplane would have experienced a left quartering tailwind.
According to the Piper Cherokee 140 Owner's Manual, at a density altitude of about 2,500 feet, the takeoff distance required would be approximately 1,000 feet for ground roll and 2,050 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. To clear a 40-foot obstacle, the required takeoff distance would be about 1,640 feet. Without accounting for density altitude, takeoff distances would have been about 700 feet ground roll and 1,500 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle.
Pilot and Witness Reports
The pilot reported a loss of engine power at about 40 feet above ground level (agl), after which the airplane settled back to the ground approximately 2,000 feet from the start of the takeoff roll. The pilot's grandson, who was watching, stated that the takeoff appeared normal until the engine sounded like it quit running. A neighbor who was sitting outside observed the airplane lift off normally for several feet and then heard what sounded like the pilot reducing power.
During an interview with an FAA inspector the day after the accident, the pilot stated that he had checked the windsock before takeoff and noticed it was hanging down and motionless. He proceeded to take off to the north, as was his usual practice due to the height of trees on the southern end of the airstrip. When the airplane reached about 40 feet agl, he realized he had a 10- to 15-knot tailwind, and the aircraft began losing altitude. He advanced the throttle to full power. The inspector asked if the engine was producing power, and the pilot confirmed that it was. The pilot remarked, "it was at that moment he realized he had messed up." The airplane then struck trees, became inverted, and impacted the ground. The pilot's grandson later reported that during the takeoff, he noticed a gust of wind had filled the windsock in the direction of departure. The pilot commented that next time he would obtain wind direction from the weather service.