Piper PA28R N9765C

Summary

On 1 August 2020 at about 06:30 local time, a Piper PA28R registered N9765C was involved in an accident near Seiling, Oklahoma, United States. 4 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

1 August 2020 at 06:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Seiling, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Seiling (1S4)

Coordinates

36.1514, -98.9339

Aircraft

Piper PA28R

Registration

N9765C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seiling → Stillwater

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN20LA321

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s incorrect takeoff performance calculations and delayed aborted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot planned to depart from a 2,435-ft-long runway, and reported that, with the three passengers and the amount of fuel onboard, the airplane was about 127 lbs below the maximum takeoff weight and required 1,700 to 1,800 ft of runway for takeoff. The pilot began the takeoff roll about 117 ft from the takeoff end of the runway with the wing flaps retracted for a normal takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the pilot noticed a sound and vibration from the engine, then about 5 seconds and 668 ft later he reduced engine power to abort the takeoff. He was unable to stop the airplane on the remaining runway and it continued off the end of the runway, over a road, and into trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident performance calculations revealed that the takeoff roll was greater than that calculated by the pilot; about 2,1000 ft. A postaccident examination of the engine and airframe did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded engine and GPS data did not reveal any anomalies. The data showed that the pilot likely began to abort the takeoff, about 547 ft from the end of the runway, and likely only applied the brakes and began to significantly slow the airplane about 304 ft from the end of the runway, which was not sufficient distance to stop the airplane before exiting the runway surface.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.