Piper PA-28-180 accident near Headwaters, Virginia, September 7, 2000
On September 7, 2000 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N15275, was substantially damaged in an accident near Headwaters, Virginia (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during take-off, which resulted in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2000 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Headwaters, Virginia · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N15275 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7305047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot completed a landing to a 1,600-foot long grass airstrip. After landing, he taxied to the end of the runway, turned around, and prepared to make a short field take-off. The pilot set the flaps to 25 degrees, applied full power, pulled the yoke to the full aft position, and began the take-off roll. The airplane came off the ground about 1,200 feet down the runway. The pilot rated passenger stated the pilot 'pulled the aircraft up too much' after take-off, and the 'nose got too high.' He also stated, the stall warning light 'flickered' after passing over the departure end of the runway. The pilot stated there was not enough airspeed to maintain lift, and he turned the airplane to the left and landed hard in a field adjacent to the runway. The terrain rose about 1,500 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The passenger stated that the rising terrain 'could be very deceiving', because from the take-off end of the runway, the terrain appeared closer than it actually was. Examination of the airplane revealed there were no mechanical deficiencies.
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
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 1,300 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,539 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 1,600 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:22 pm from SHD, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.