Piper PA-46-350P N50JG

Summary

On 4 November 1998 at about 18:45 local time, a Piper PA-46-350P registered N50JG was involved in an accident near Mammoth, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 November 1998 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Mammoth, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mammouth Lakes Airport (MMH)

Coordinates

37.5795, -118.8391

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-350P

Registration

N50JG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Las Vegas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99LA023

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to ensure that the autopilot was off prior to takeoff, and, his failure to maintain pitch control during the resultant pitch trim excursion during the takeoff ground roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses said the aircraft took off prematurely and over rotated to a nose high attitude. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft hit the ground tail first then the nose. The aircraft veered off the side runway and came to rest on a taxiway. The winds were reported as calm at the time. The pilot told the witness that he stalled on takeoff. Immediately after the accident, the position of the elevator trim tab and the cockpit elevator trim indicator were found in the full nose up trim positions. The pilot reported that the aircraft had a dead battery and required external power for the start. During this process, the autopilot cycled twice. The pilot stated that he performed a normal run-up and trimmed the aircraft for takeoff. He said that at 62 knots the autopilot ran the pitch trim to the full nose up position and the aircraft pitched prematurely to a nose high attitude and lifted off the ground. The pilot then retracted the landing gear. The left wing dropped and the airplane settled back to the ground. According to the auto pilot manufacturer, the pitch servo capstans are designed with a clutch that will slip at 25 pounds of control wheel force. According to flight test data supplied by Piper, the control wheel force required to hold 62-knot speed at full trim tab deflection would be less than 40 pounds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.