ILWACO, WA, USA
N8267P
PIPER PA-24
THE PILOT, WHO DID NOT PERFORM WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATIONS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF IN AN AIRCRAFT THAT WAS OVER THE ALLOWABLE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF TWICE, BUT WOULD NOT CLIMB, AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT. HIS STOPPING DISTANCE WAS EXTENDED BECAUSE HE HAD TROUBLE BRINGING THE VERNIER TYPE THROTTLE TO THE IDLE POSITION. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT STEERED IT ONTO A NEARBY ROAD, BUT HE IMPACTED A TREE WHILE AVOIDING AN ONCOMING AUTO.
On August 22, 1993, at approximately 1145 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Piper PA-24-180, N8267P, impacted trees during an attempted aborted takeoff at Ilwaco Airport, Ilwaco, Washington. The FAA certificated private pilot and his three passengers where not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft, which was operating in visual meteorological conditions, was departing on a personal pleasure flight when the accident occurred. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation. According to the FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene, the pilot attempted a takeoff on the 2,000 foot long strip in an aircraft that was approximately 100 pounds over maximum allowable gross weight. According to the pilot, the aircraft lifted off, settled back to the runway, and lifted off again. At that point he decided to abort, but was unable to get the vernier type throttle to the idle position as quickly as he wanted, and the aircraft ran off the end of the runway. While decelerating, he turned the aircraft down a nearby road, but impacted a tree while attempting to avoid an oncoming auto. In a post-accident phone interview, an FAA inspector asked the pilot if he had performed a weight and balance calculation prior to the attempted takeoff, and the pilot answered that he had not done so. In response to further questioning, the pilot told the inspector that at the time of the accident, he did not know the actual empty weight nor allowable gross weight for the aircraft.
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PRE-FLIGHT PLANNING, AND HIS ATTEMPT TO TAKE OFF WITH THE AIRCRAFT OVER GROSS WEIGHT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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