Piper SENECA N864CA

Summary

On 31 May 2008 at about 14:30 local time, a Piper SENECA registered N864CA, operated by William M. Nuttall, was involved in an accident near Plaquemine, Louisiana, 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

31 May 2008 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Plaquemine, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.2597, -91.2861

Aircraft

Piper SENECA

Registration

N864CA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

William M. Nuttall

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plaquemine → Plaquemine

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN08CA099

Nobody was injured.

The certified flight instructor's poor decision to simulate a loss of engine on takeoff with a wet runway and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing to the accident was the dew covered runway surface and the ditch.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was on an instructional flight with a certified flight instructor from a 2600 x 80 foot grass airstrip, which was wet with dew. At approximately 40 knots on initial takeoff roll the flight instructor pulled the left throttle to idle to simulate the loss of an engine on takeoff. The pilot aborted the takeoff, pulling the right throttle back and applying wheel brakes. The airplane slid off the side of the runway into a field and hit a ditch. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing had pulled forward, separating the trailing edge from the fuselage approximately 1 1/2 inch and buckling the fuselage at the leading edge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.