No fatalities

5 Dec 2018: Piper PA28 181 — Horizon Dreams Aviation — Cornelia, GA

Cornelia, GA, United States

On 5 Dec 2018, a Piper PA28 181 operated by Horizon Dreams Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Cornelia, GA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's failure to maintain the runway heading during an attempted takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees. 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

During a crosswind touch and go, a student pilot lost directional control. The instructor took over but failed to retract flaps, leading to a runway excursion and impact with trees.

Incident Overview

A flight instructor reported that during a touch and go landing in crosswind conditions, with a student pilot at the controls, the airplane touched down on the runway centerline but without perfect longitudinal (heading) alignment. The airplane subsequently veered left.

Actions During the Event

The instructor took control of the airplane, added power to initiate a takeoff, but did not retract any of the "partial" flaps. She maintained the slightly offset direction during the takeoff roll. The airplane became airborne as it exited the left side of the runway.

Impact and Damage

The left wing of the airplane impacted trees and brush. The airplane then came to rest at the bottom of a ravine. Substantial damage was sustained to the right wing.

Mechanical Status

The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

The automated weather observation station at the accident airport reported that about the time of the incident, the wind was 330° at 7 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The airplane had been landing on runway 6, which would result in a crosswind component.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedInstructor/check pilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on operationContributed to outcome