The flight instructor reported that she briefed the soft-field takeoff procedure with her student while holding short for the active runway at the airport in Mesa, Arizona.
After the flight was cleared for takeoff, the student pilot aligned the Piper PA28 with the runway center line, advanced the throttle to the full power position, and released aft pressure from the yoke.
During the ground roll, the instructor briefly lost sight of the runway and when the runway reappeared, she observed the airplane rapidly veering to the left. The instructor applied full right rudder and right aileron control as they had lost directional control, but the airplane continued to the left.
Unable to remediate the turn, the instructor reduced engine power, but quickly restored it with the intent of flying the airplane back to the runway as the airplane had just become airborne.
However, the airplane rolled to the left, the stall horn came on, and then they touched down on the taxiway and hit a parked airplane.
The right wing and left aileron were substantially damaged.
The instructor and student reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that could have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and the flight instructor’s inadequate remediation during a short-field takeoff, which resulted in impact with a parked airplane.
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This February 2020 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.
Unfortunately the report is the same wording as the article. If this part is worded backward it makes some sense.
It states briefed SOFT FIELD take-off and then ” full power position, and released aft pressure from the yoke.” If they meant “applied aft yoke”, with a PA28-180 it is fairly easy to lift the nosewheel making them into a pseudo-taildragger, especially with some weight in the baggage compartment.. Once the nose is light the P-factor of that 180 hp will easily swing the nose left. This also will,of course block the view over the nose.
Just speculation on my part, but I have seen this type of thing happen.
As soon as the instructor took the control of the airplane, that person is responsible for the flight. The instructor became PIC.
When it’s a student pilot and a CFI, the CFI is the PIC at all times. A student pilot is PIC only when solo – 61.51(e)(ii).
u r
combo of short cfi and high angle of attack in rotation especially if tail low soft field technique used even in a warrior
she should have used other cues to visualize where runway was
pillows and seat cushions help to improve view and reduce impact
Maybe I’m missing the obvious here, but how does someone lose sight of the runway on a takeoff roll?