The accident happened during an instructional flight in a Piper Cherokee. The CFI was attempting to demonstrate a soft field departure. The CFI taxied to a grass runway and instructed the student pilot to do the takeoff.
The student advanced the throttle. The airplane achieved full power and about half way down the runway reached minimum rotation speed. The CFI noted that the runway began to upslope and the airspeed increased at a reduced rate.
When the airplane reached the top of the slope, airspeed increased to 60 mph and the CFI called out “rotate.” The CFI assisted the student pilot with the rotation.
The climb-out was normal, but the airplane hit a power line approximately 150 feet from the end of the runway, then crashed, seriously injuring the student and CFI. The airplane was substantially damaged.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a power line.
NTSB Identification: ERA13CA228
This May 2013 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
This was obviously a totally avoidable accident. Unfortunately the CFI did not avoid his own incompetence which led directly to this accident. The student was along for the ride trusting the PIC, the CFI, to manage a safe takeoff which he failed miserably at accomplishing. The CFI should at the very least have his CFI certificate revoked permanently.
Is it just me, or does it seem like a bad idea to have a runway with a power line 150 feet beyond its end??
Bluestar: +1. In addition, the CFI should have aborted when the aircraft failed to achieve 70% of liftoff at a predetermined location… BEFORE the runway upslope. The accident points out that not all CFIs are created equal. This one didn’t do his (or her) “due diligence” in pre-planning the takeoff.
The student wasn’t supervised wrongly nor had anything to do with it. The CFI who is PIC was completely at fault by not realizing the practice included a power line at the end of the grass runway. He should have aborted takeoff when the speed was not adequate to make a safe departure over the power line.