Piper PA-32RT-300 N9507C

Summary

On 24 August 1991 at about 01:11 local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300 registered N9507C, operated by San-Val Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Van Nuys, California, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 August 1991 at 01:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Van Nuys, California, United States

Nearest airport

Van Nuys (VNY)

Coordinates

34.1896, -118.4898

Aircraft

Piper PA-32RT-300

Registration

N9507C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

San-Val Flying Service

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Las Vegas

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91FA366

6 people were seriously injured.

(1) THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PREPARATION; (2) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER'S PERFORMANCE DATA BY HIS SELECTION OF AN IMPROPER FLAP POSITION FOR TAKEOFF; AND (3) THE PILOT'S CHOICE OF A RUNWAY TOO SHORT FOR A SAFE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: (1) THE PILOT'S TOTAL LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE WHICH WAS MANIFESTED BY HIS IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE WING FLAPS; AND (2) THE PILOT'S IMPROPER STABILATOR CONTROL USAGE DURING ROTATION FOR TAKEOFF.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT LOADED THE AIRPLANE TO APPROXIMATELY ITS MAXIMUM CERTIFICATED GROSS WEIGHT. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF USING ONE NOTCH OF WING FLAPS ON THE 4,000 FOOT LONG RUNWAY. AN 8,000 FOOT LONG RUNWAY WAS AVAILABLE. IT WAS A HOT (98 DEG. F.) DAY AND DURING THE GROUND ROLL THE PILOT OVERROTATED, SCRAPED THE TAIL SKID, AND ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. INSUFFICIENT DISTANCE REMAINED TO STOP. THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND A DIRT BANK, AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT'S TOTAL 'IN COMMAND' EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE WAS 1.0 HOUR. PERFORMANCE DATA INDICATED THAT USING PROPER CONTROL INPUTS AND USING TWO NOTCHES OF WING FLAPS, THE AIRPLANE MIGHT HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO TAKEOFF USING THE SHORTER RUNWAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.