Piper PA28 N111TA

Summary

On 17 November 2018 at about 16:12 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N111TA was involved in an accident near Barnesville, Georgia, United States. 4 people were on board and 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

17 November 2018 at 16:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Barnesville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Little Tobesofkee (GA86)

Coordinates

32.9800, -84.1000

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N111TA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Barnesville → Macon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA052

2 people had minor injuries.

The student pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in an off-runway landing and subsequent collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was taking off for an instructional flight from an upsloping, 3,000-ft-long turf runway with 7- to 8-knot headwinds. The airspeed reached 65 knots and was increasing at the predesignated decision point, which was about 60% of the runway length. After takeoff, the airplane unexpectedly banked left. The student called out that the flight controls were not responding, and the instructor simultaneously took the controls. Realizing that the airplane would not clear trees at the departure end of the runway, the instructor chose to land the airplane straight ahead and aim it between trees. The airplane touched down about 200 ft before the trees and traveled forward until it struck several of them, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Further, flight control continuity was confirmed from the flight control surfaces to the cockpit controls. Given that no mechanical anomalies were found during postaccident examination of the airframe, it is likely that the student failed to maintain airplane control during takeoff and that the flight instructor's delayed remedial action resulted in the subsequent off-runway landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.