Friday, July 10, 2015

Piper PA-28-140, N286P: Accident occurred July 28, 2013 in Lafayette, Indiana

http://registry.faa.gov/N286P

NTSB Identification: CEN13LA455
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 28, 2013 in Lafayette, IN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/14/2015
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N286P
Injuries: 1 Serious, 3 Minor.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot reported that the engine run-up and the initial takeoff were normal and that the airplane rotated at 50 mph and lifted off at 60 mph. The airplane then accelerated to its best angle of climb speed and cleared the front edge of a band of trees that bordered the end of the runway, after which it descended into the trees and subsequently impacted terrain. The pilot reported that he did not know exactly what happened but stated that it appeared the airplane got into a downdraft or experienced an engine power loss. He further surmised that the airplane “lost lift,” which resulted in the impact with trees. An examination of the airplane after the accident showed no preimpact anomalies; however, an examination of the engine was not accomplished due to the position of the airplane at the accident scene. The weather conditions at the time of the accident included a gusting wind. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge states that obstructions on the ground affect the wind flow and can be an unseen danger that can break up the wind flow and create wind gusts that change rapidly in direction and speed. It further cautions that it is especially important to be vigilant when flying in or out of airports that have large buildings or natural obstructions near the runway. Based on the available evidence, the pilot likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed in the climb, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. It is also likely that the airplane encountered a local disturbance due to the wind and trees that exacerbated the event; however, the pilot should have anticipated this possibility and taken appropriate measures to avoid the stall.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed in gusting wind conditions during the initial climb after takeoff, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

On July 28, 2013, about 1052 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N286P, impacted trees and terrain during initial climb after takeoff from runway 27 at the Timber House Airport (31IN), Lafayette, Indiana. The pilot and three passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to an individual and operated by a private pilot as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The pilot reported that he performed a pre-takeoff run-up and noted no deficiencies. He then proceeded to take off to the west noting that rotation occurred about 50 miles per hour, and liftoff occurred about 60 miles per hour. He stated that the airplane accelerated to 74 miles per hour (best angle of climb airspeed), and the airplane cleared the trees off of the departure end of the runway. The pilot stated that the airplane then descended into the trees. He noted that he was not sure what had happened but stated that it appeared to be a downdraft or an engine power loss. He further surmised that the airplane "lost lift" which resulted in the impact with the trees.

A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing impacted a tree followed by the left wing. Both wings separated from the airplane and both fuel tanks were breached. The fuselage remained predominately intact with the propeller buried in the dirt. The fuel selector was positioned on the right tank and both fuel tank caps were secure. Due to the position of the airplane at the accident site, an examination of the engine was not performed.

At 1054, the weather conditions at the Purdue University Airport, Lafayette, Indiana, about 9 nautical miles northwest of the accident site were: wind 260 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots; 10 statute miles visibility; broken ceiling at 9,000 feet above ground level; temperature 19 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C, and altimeter 29.96 inches of mercury.

The airport where the accident occurred was a private airport that had a 3,000 foot long by 100 foot wide turf runway. The west end of the runway was bordered by band of trees about 650 feet wide in the direction of runway alignment.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publication FAA-H-8083-25A, "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge", states:

"Obstructions on the ground affect the flow of wind and can be an unseen danger. Ground topography and large buildings can break up the flow of the wind and create wind gusts that change rapidly in direction and speed. These obstructions range from manmade structures like hangars to large natural obstructions, such as mountains, bluffs, or canyons. It is especially important to be vigilant when flying in or out of airports that have large buildings or natural obstructions located near the runway.

The intensity of the turbulence associated with ground obstructions depends on the size of the obstacle and the primary velocity of the wind. This can affect the takeoff and landing performance of any aircraft and can present a very serious hazard."


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Michael Butram throttled up his Piper airplane about 10:35 a.m. July 28, 2013, and raced down the runway at Timberhouse Aero Estates in southern Tippecanoe County, but his plane didn’t clear the trees at the end of the runway, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The plane crashed, injuring Butram and his passengers, Shannon Gipson, and her two children, Rowan Gipson and Keegan Gipson.

Now James and Shannon Gipson, individually and on behalf of their children, are suing Butram. Also named as defendants are the other owners of the plane — David Gevers, Ronald Kovach and John Lumkes — as well as Timberhouse Aero Estates Homeowners Association.

Timberhouse Aero Estates is a residential development near Tippecanoe County Roads 950 South and 200 East. The concept of the neighborhood is that there’s a runway by every homeowner’s backyard.

The lawsuit alleges that “numerous service vehicles” were parked on the 3,000-foot runway, but Butram attempted to take off anyway. The lawsuit alleges this was negligent on Butram’s part.

Gevers, Kovach and Lumkes are accused of failing to ensure the co-owners had proper knowledge of that plane’s flight characteristics.

The homeowners association is accused of allowing the airplane to take off when it was unsafe because it allowed service vehicles on the runway. The association, the lawsuit alleges, failed to properly park the service vehicles away from the 3,000-foot grass runway, effectively shortening it.

The Journal & Courier contacted Gevers, who declined to comment.

The J&C has been unable to reach Butram, Kovach or Lumke for comment, and no one from the Timberhouse Aero Estates Homeowners Association responded to an email for comment.

Original article can be found here: http://www.jconline.com



ROMNEY — Four people were hospitalized Sunday morning, July 28th, after a plane crash in southern Tippecanoe County.


At 10:39 a.m., the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to an aircraft accident near Timber House Airport in Romney. Members of the Tippecanoe Emergency Ambulance Service, Randolph Township Fire Department and Tippecanoe County Emergency Management assisted with the investigation.


Investigators determined that a single engine Piper Cherokee had crashed shortly after takeoff. It was unclear what cause the crash.


All four of the occupants, Michael Butram, 53, of Lafayette; Shannon Gipson, 39, of Slidell, La.; Keegan Gipson, 7; and Rowan Gipson, 5; suffered minor injuries.


The victims were transported to St. Elizabeth East hospital. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash. 

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NTSB Identification: CEN13LA455
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 28, 2013 in Lafayette, IN
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N286P
Injuries: 1 Serious,3 Minor.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 28, 2013, about 1052 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N286P, impacted trees and terrain during initial climb after takeoff from runway 27 at the Timber House Airport (31IN), Lafayette, Indiana. The pilot and three passengers received minor injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by an individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

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