No fatalities

2 Sep 2019: Piper PA38 112 — Pilots Choice Aviation Equipment Leasing — Taylor, TX

Taylor, TX, United States

On 2 Sep 2019, a Piper PA38 112 operated by Pilots Choice Aviation Equipment Leasing was involved in an aviation accident near Taylor, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. 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 training flight, a student pilot attempted a soft field takeoff with high pitch attitude, causing the airplane to settle and impact a ditch, damaging the fuselage.

Accident Details

A flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a training flight that included touch and go landings. During the landing rollout, with approximately 2,000 feet of runway remaining, the flight instructor directed the student to transition to a soft field takeoff. The student pilot executed the takeoff and attempted to climb out with a high pitch attitude. During the climb, the airplane settled back to the ground beyond the end of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a ditch, resulting in damage to the fuselage.

Post-Accident Observations

Following the accident, the flight instructor recognized that the pitch attitude during the student's climb out was too high. The instructor also acknowledged that he should not have directed the student to attempt a soft field takeoff given the amount of runway remaining. The accident report form indicated that there were mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Investigation Findings

The investigation noted the sequence of events as described, but did not assign a specific cause beyond the mechanical malfunctions or failures indicated on the accident report form. No further details about the nature of the malfunctions or failures were provided in the source material.

Probable cause

Mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Instructor/check pilotPitch control — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation