Piper PA-28-180 N5295L

Summary

On 18 August 2002 at about 19:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N5295L, operated by John P. Zachary, was involved in an accident near Deerfield, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 August 2002 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Deerfield, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Private (NONE)

Coordinates

38.2042, -79.3444

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N5295L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John P. Zachary

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Deerfield → Stauton

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC02FA166

2 people died.

The pilot's improper preflight decision to takeoff on an up-sloping runway with a tailwind, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with a tree. Factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic area, and a tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot back-taxied on runway 15 at a private airstrip. Runway 15 was 2,442 feet long, 50 feet wide, 90 feet up-sloping, and consisted of turf. Witnesses stated that the engine sounded fine during the takeoff roll, but the airplane did not accelerate and climb properly. After takeoff, the airplane pitched up sharply as it neared a tree line, stalled, and impacted a tree. Witnesses added that the pilot took off with a tailwind. Review of a performance chart for the airplane revealed that a similar takeoff would require 2,150 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. However, the chart did not account for an up-sloping turf runway, or a tailwind. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot had never flown out of the private airstrip.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.