Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Dover, Tennessee, March 15, 2012
On March 15, 2012 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N3779T, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Dover, Tennessee (Short Creek Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a collision with an object and a landing gear collapse during the subsequent landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2012 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Dover, Tennessee · Short Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3779T · registry record · serial 28R-30091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taking off on a turf runway; during the takeoff roll, about the time of rotation, a gust of wind pushed the airplane into a stack of tires that marked the runway’s left boundary. The pilot completed the takeoff; however, the left main landing gear had sustained damage during the impact with the tires. The pilot subsequently returned and landed on the same runway. During the landing, the left side of the airplane settled onto the ground due to the damaged left main landing gear, which resulted in ground contact that substantially damaged the left wing. Postaccident examination did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at an airport about 30 miles northeast of the accident site was from 250 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots about the time of the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,270 hours in all; 79 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,215 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 27, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 2011; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming I0360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8TN7 Dover TN at 5:45 pm
- Destination: CKV Clarksville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,560 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from CKV, 30 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.
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.