Piper PA-36-375 accident near Elmwood, Nebraska, September 9, 2015
On September 9, 2015 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA-36-375, registered N1057E, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Elmwood, Nebraska (Private airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 decision to take off with the airplane near its maximum gross weight from a runway that did not have sufficient length for the airplane to achieve a normal takeoff and positive climb rate after liftoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2015 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Elmwood, Nebraska · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36-375, built 1979 · all PA-36-375s on the register
- Registration
- N1057E · no longer on the register · serial 36-7902012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, before the accident flight, the agricultural application airplane was loaded with 1,500 lbs of seed and 40 gallons of aviation fuel. He reported that there were no anomalies with the airplane during the five previous flights that day or the before-takeoff engine run-up. The accident takeoff was made from a private airstrip toward the south with the flaps partially extended. After applying full engine power, the pilot released the brakes, and the airplane accelerated down the runway. The airplane's tail became airborne about three-quarters down the runway at 75 mph. Although the airplane became airborne before reaching the end of the runway, it was unable to gain additional airspeed or achieve a positive climb rate. The airplane remained in ground effect as it crossed over the runway departure threshold, but it subsequently settled into a corn crop about 1/4 mile past the end of the runway. The pilot stated that he believed that the accident could have been prevented if he had reduced the payload weight for the accident flight. The pilot reported that, at the time of the accident takeoff, the airplane weighed about 4,500 lbs, which was about 300 lbs below the airplane's maximum gross weight. According to local weather reports, the wind was light and variable at the time of the accident. Performance calculations revealed that, during takeoff at 4,500 lbs with the flaps fully retracted, with no headwind, and from a level hard-surface runway, the airplane would have required about 1,750 ft of runway to achieve liftoff and about 2,650 ft to clear a 50-ft obstacle. The north-south turf runway was 2,600 ft long. The Pilot's Operating Handbook did not provide takeoff performance data for operations from a grass/turf runway or with flaps extended. According to the available performance data, the airplane would likely have required additional runway length to achieve a normal takeoff and positive climb rate after liftoff.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Takeoff distance › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum weight › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,232 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 2,015 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 8, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,900 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 4, 2015; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-D1CD (piston); 2,764 hours total
- Operator: Stove Creek Air, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Elmwood NE at 11:30 pm
- Destination: PVT Elmwood NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,600 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from PMV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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 CEN15LA405.