Piper PA-22-150 accident near Woodstock, Georgia, May 6, 1998
On May 6, 1998 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-150, registered N3900P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodstock, Georgia (Air Acres 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
The pilot's failure to establish a positive climb to outclimb obstacle (tree) and his decision to execute a takeoff with a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 1998 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Woodstock, Georgia · Air Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N3900P · no longer on the register · serial 22-3568
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot-in-command (PIC), after a local flight of about 1 hour, the two pilots decided to 'check-out' a grass strip that they had flown over. The grass runway was oriented north/south and they landed on runway 18. On approach, they noted that the runway was 'uphill.' After landing, they noted that the wind shocks indicated that the ground winds were 'calm.' They elected to depart on runway 36, and the PIC initiated a 'short' field takeoff. They crossed a road at the north end of the field, and the PIC stated, '...but [the airplane] did not clear the trees.' He said, '...we clipped the top of the first tree and the prop went through the second...we caught a larger tree on the inboard right wing.' The reported winds about 10 miles north of the crash site were from 150 degrees at 9 knots.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,254 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,957 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1997; 169 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Marietta GA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: VPC Cartesville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from MGE, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N3900P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.