Piper PA 28-181 N9631C

Summary

On 19 May 2014 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA 28-181 registered N9631C, operated by Heartland Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Yuma, Colorado, United States. One person was 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

19 May 2014 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Yuma, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Yuma Municipal Airport (2V6)

Coordinates

40.1042, -102.7131

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-181

Registration

N9631C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Heartland Aviation Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Yuma → Alliance

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA245

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control after the airplane encountered a wind gust during takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot inadvertently using a runway that resulted in a gusty tailwind condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after referencing the airport windsock, which indicated a variable and gusty wind condition, he decided to takeoff on runway 16. The airplane was on takeoff roll when, before achieving liftoff, it encountered a wind gust that raised the right wing. The pilot was unable to correct for the wind gust before the airplane departed the left side of the runway and impacted a drainage ditch. He reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of wind data readings, taken during the hour before the accident, established that the wind direction and speed had been from the north at 13-15 knots with recorded wind gusts between 20-26 knots. Additionally, the wind speed had increased throughout the same time period. The use of runway 16 would have resulted in a tailwind condition and an increased ground speed required to achieve a normal liftoff. The higher ground speed likely contributed to the pilot's inability to maintain directional control after the airplane encountered the wind gust.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.