Piper PA-28-180 accident near Burlington, Wyoming, May 7, 1999
On May 7, 1999 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7942W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burlington, Wyoming. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots' inadequate preflight planning for take off in that he failed to consider the takeoff surface not being a paved surface. A factor was loose material on the roadway used for take off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 1999 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7942W · no longer on the register · serial 281984
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Landing was made on a 1,300 compacted used asphalt surfaced road. Approximately one half the distance was used for the landing and the pilot said he thought he could take off safely because of his landing distance and because he had half fuel and was alone in the aircraft. He rotated the aircraft for take off as he was running out of road on his takeoff roll. The aircraft struck a fence with the landing gear and then impacted into a tractor severing the left wing. The aircraft slid to a stop in a farm field. There was no fire. Calculated performance provided information that on a paved surface the takeoff roll flaps up was 1,250 feet and with 25 flaps 1,150 feet. Density altitude was approximately 6,000 feet msl.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 1999; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Garland Brothers, LLC
The flight
- Destination: GCC Gillette WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.