Piper PA-22-135 N3228B

Summary

On 27 June 2025 at about 13:00 local time, a Piper PA-22-135 registered N3228B, operated by Eldorado Aircraft LLC, was involved in an accident near Elberta, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one 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

27 June 2025 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Elberta, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Non-Airport Farmland (PVT)

Coordinates

30.4419, -87.4639

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-135

Registration

N3228B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1954

Engines

1

Operator

Eldorado Aircraft LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA25LA251

1 person had minor injuries.

Pilot’s decision to take off from a wet and unmaintained field that was unsuitable for airplane operations, resulting in a loss of control and subsequent nose over. Contributing was the pilot’s self-induced pressure to complete the flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying to the destination airport where a mechanic was scheduled to perform an annual inspection of the airplane (that was about to be overdue). While enroute, a storm had arrived over the destination airport, so the pilot diverted to what he thought was a private airstrip. As soon as the airplane touched down, he realized that it was not a maintained airstrip. The pilot waited for the storm to pass, then elected to resume the flight and attempted to take off. During the takeoff roll, he was forced to abort because of the wet and rough ground condition. He attempted a second takeoff from another part of the field that appeared smoother, but during the second takeoff attempt, about 1/3 of the way into the takeoff roll, the terrain got progressively wetter and muddier. The airplane began to skid left and right, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The left wing subsequently struck the ground which resulted in the airplane nosing over and coming to rest inverted. The pilot received minor injuries, and the airplane’s wings, rudder and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. He further stated that in retrospect, he had a “get-there-it is mentality” because of the airplane’s impending inspection deadline.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.