Piper PA-28-235 N9349W

Summary

On 9 April 1993 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N9349W, operated by James M. Banas, was involved in an accident near Oxford, Massachusetts, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 April 1993 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Oxford, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Oxford (MA08)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N9349W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

James M. Banas

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Bridgeport

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC93FA076

4 people died.

THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF WHICH RESULTED IN NOT BEING ABLE TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED FOR CLIMBOUT. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE TAILWIND.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF WITH A TAILWIND. AFTER IT BECAME AIRBORNE, THE POWER WAS HEARD TO BE REDUCED, AND THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED ON THE RUNWAY AND RETURNED TO THE AIR. POWER WAS HEARD TO COME ON FULL AGAIN, AND THE TAKEOFF CONTINUED, WITH THE AIRPLANE DRIFTING LEFT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE, AND CLIMBING SLOWLY. AS THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER TREES, A WITNESS SAW THE TAIL STRIKE THE TOP OF SOME TREES AND THEN THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN INTO THE TREES. THE WITNESS ALSO STATED THAT THE SOUTHERN WINDSOCK, NEAR WHERE THE PILOT INITIATED HIS TAKEOFF, WAS STEADY AT 3/4 FULL, AND OCCASIONALLY FULL. THE PILOT HAD EARLIER LANDED AT THE AIRPORT AROUND NOONTIME, AND THE LANDING WAS ALSO DOWNWIND WITH THE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH AT ABOUT 10 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.