Piper PA-28-140 accident near Cumming, Georgia, July 10, 2004
On July 10, 2004 at about 4:43 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N56776, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cumming, Georgia (Mathis Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain takeoff performance data, and his intentional takeoff from a closed and short runway which resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2004 · about 4:43 pm local time
- Place
- Cumming, Georgia · Mathis Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N56776 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7425034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he and his son needed to leave and could not wait. According to a witness, the airplane took off on runway 03, attempted to climb and collided with a tree inside an unoccupied subdivision off the departure end of runway 03. According to the airport manager, the 1,551 foot long runway was closed for resurfacing. He said that only about two thirds of the runway (1,033 feet) had been resurfaced and that heavy equipment occupied the last one third of the runway. A review of the Cherokee 140 owner's handbook found that at gross weight under standard conditions at sea level the take off distance over a 50-ft Obstacle (Flaps Up) is 1,700 feet. Additionally, the airport manager stated that prior to the airplane's departure the pilot was advised that runway 03 was closed until later in the day when the resurfacing was to be completed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,307.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 84A Cumming GA at 4:43 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 1,550 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from ATL, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.