Piper PA-28-140 accident near Martinsville, Indiana, March 6, 2010
On March 6, 2010 at about 6:21 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6852W, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Martinsville, Indiana (Mcdaniel'S Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and his exceedance of the airplane's takeoff capability.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2010 · about 6:21 pm local time
- Place
- Martinsville, Indiana · Mcdaniel'S Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6852W · registry record · serial 28-21008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting a takeoff on runway 27 when the airplane overran the runway and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage, which included a damaged firewall and right wing. The nearest weather reporting station recorded variable winds at 3 knots about 30 minutes after the accident. The pilot and three passengers were uninjured. Examination of the airplane revealed that it was about 131 pounds over gross takeoff weight at the time of the accident. No mechanical anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was overdue for an annual inspection since it was last inspected in January 2009. The pilot's airman medical certificate was expired after his airman medical application for a third class medical was denied on August 13, 2007.
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
What happened, in order
- Runway excursion during takeoff defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weight/balance calculations › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Takeoff distance › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Time limits › Not serviced/maintained
- Personnel issues › Physical › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 2009
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 90IN Martinsville IN
- Destination: 90IN Martinsville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,000 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BMG, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10CA147.