Piper PA28R accident near Lake City, Florida, November 11, 2018
On November 11, 2018 at about 6:14 pm local time, a 1989 Piper PA28R, registered N52737, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lake City, Florida (Cannon Creek Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed before attempting the takeoff with a tailwind, which resulted in the airplane being unable to sustain flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2018 · about 6:14 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Florida · Cannon Creek Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R 201, built 1989 · all PA28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N52737 · no longer on the register · serial 28-37021
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was attempting to depart from a 2,600-ft-long turf runway with a right quartering tailwind with three passengers onboard. A witness estimated that the tailwind was about 8 knots. The pilot reported that the only thing he could recall about the flight was that he had "difficulty getting the airplane into the air." Another witness reported that, immediately after becoming airborne, the airplane entered a series of pitch oscillations; during each oscillation, the airplane appeared to be near the stall speed and lose altitude. After several oscillations, the airplane neared the left side of the runway and impacted treetops before impacting the ground and cartwheeling. One of the witnesses stated that the engine sound did not change during takeoff and that the engine appeared to be running well the entire time. Given the evidence, it is likely that the pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed before attempting the takeoff with a tailwind, which led to the airplane being unable to sustain flight.
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 in flight during initial climb defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,583 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 15FL Lake City FL at 6:14 pm
- Destination: 15FL Lake City FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 6:06 pm from KGNV, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on November 26, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Passenger 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Passenger 2 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.