CHINLE, AZ, USA
N5765R
PIPER PA-32R-300
THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE'S (NORMALLY ASPIRATED) ENGINE DID NOT PRODUCED ADEQUATE POWER TO CLIMB OVER TERRAIN LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE AIRSTRIP. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY BECAME AIRBORNE UPON REACHING AN AIRSPEED OF 65 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED BETWEEN 2 AND 4 FEET ABOVE THE DIRT RUNWAY'S SURFACE, AND THEN IT SETTLED BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF ROLL, AND AFTER ACCELERATING TO 70 KNOTS, IT AGAIN BECAME AIRBORNE. AS THE AIRPLANE FLEW PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR COLLIDED WITH THE PERIMETER BOUNDARY FENCE, THEN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH GRADUALLY RISING TERRAIN. THE PILOT SAID THAT AT THE TIME OF THE MISHAP THERE WAS NO WIND OR TURBULENCE, AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS 78 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. BASED UPON THIS DATA, THE SAFETY BOARD CALCULATED THAT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,900 FEET. AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE CHARTS NOTED THAT UNDER THE ALTITUDE AND TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS, THE DISTANCE TO CLEAR A 50-FOOT OBSTACLE IS OFF THE CHART; HOWEVER, INTERPOLATION YIELDS A MINIMUM DISTANCE OF 4,800 FEET. THE PREDICTED RATE OF CLIMB IS 150 FEET PER MINUTE.
On August 18, 1994, at 0817 mountain standard time, a Piper PA- 32R-300, N5765R, operated by its owner, collided with a fence and terrain during takeoff from the Chinle (uncontrolled) airstrip, Chinle, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither the commercial pilot nor the three passengers was injured. The flight was originating at the time of the mishap. The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board that the airplane's (normally aspirated) engine did not appear to have produced adequate power to climb over the terrain. The pilot reported that at approximately "60 percent down the runway" he rotated the airplane and became airborne at an indicated airspeed of 65 knots. The airplane gained between 2 and 4 feet of altitude, and then it "settled to the strip." The pilot further reported that as the ground roll continued, the airplane accelerated to 70 knots. The airplane again became airborne, and it started climbing. However, the landing gear contacted a fence located at the airport's southern perimeter boundary, and then the airplane collided with rising terrain. According to the airstrip's owner, runway 17/35 has a clay surface and was 4,200-feet long. A small hill is located about 1 mile south of the airstrip. The pilot reported that the air temperature was about 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and there was no wind or turbulence. Based upon this data, the Safety Board calculated that the density altitude was at least 7,900 feet. Performance charts for the aircraft were reviewed. Under the pressure altitude and temperature conditions, the distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle is off the chart; however, interpolation yields a minimum distance of 4,800 feet. The predicted rate of climb is given as 150 feet per minute.
the pilot's premature liftoff, and his failure to attain the appropriate airspeed during a takeoff attempt under high density altitude conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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