Piper PA-46-310P N977RA

Summary

On 5 May 1997 at about 16:10 local time, a Piper PA-46-310P registered N977RA was involved in an accident near Tooele, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 May 1997 at 16:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Tooele, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Toelle Valley (TVY)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-310P

Registration

N977RA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97LA098

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's excessive rotation of the aircraft during takeoff, and his failure to obtain/maintain adequate airspeed. Inadequate supervision by the instructor pilot (CFI/check pilot) was a related factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a flight review, the instructor pilot (CFI) noted that the private pilot had applied nose-up elevator trim during the initial roll to assist in rotation for a practice short field takeoff. The CFI said that after brake release, the airplane accelerated normally with rotation initiated at approximately 70 knots. The airplane was over-rotated. Just after becaming airborne, it entered a semi-stalled condition, and the left wing dropped and made contact with the runway. Right rudder was applied from the right side of the cockpit, resulting in the wings leveling, but the aircraft's path had changed to about 30 degrees left of the original runway heading. With the attitude still nose high and observing what appeared to be obstacles in the resultant path, the throttle was reduced to idle. Impact with the ground was immediate, and both the nose gear and the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded and came to rest perpendicular to the original takeoff heading.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.