Piper PA-28-140 accident near Jackson, Alabama, August 25, 1999
On August 25, 1999 at about 3:26 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6685J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Alabama (William Stewart airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation, which resulted in taking off with the airplane's maximum gross weight exceeded, and subsequent impact with trees. Factors in this accident were high temperatures and an in-flight encounter with a downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1999 · about 3:26 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Alabama · William Stewart · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6685J · no longer on the register · serial 28-24375
- 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 he calculated the weight for this flight and came up with total weight of '...860 pounds, 5.5 pound over weight limit.' He said he '...did a complete check off on everything in the cockpit, and a static run-up only produced 2400 RPM's instead of 2500 RPM's the engine usually produced.' He rotated the airplane at 80 mph, it climbed to about 100 to 150 feet and entered 'some turbulence, at this time it felt like something was pushing the airplane to the ground...[he] decided the airplane was not going to climb over the trees and started turning off the fuel selector switch, the master switch, and we went into the trees.' According to the FAA inspector's statement, the airplane was at '...max gross weight at takeoff and encountered a down draft.' The stall warning light came on, the pilot lowered the nose to prevent a stall, the airplane was unable to maintain altitude and hit trees at end of runway. The reported temperature in the area about the time of the accident was about 90 degrees F. The wind were variable at 4 knots. The calculated density altitude was 2332 feet.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 170 hours in all; 95 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,833 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4R3 at 3:26 pm
- Destination: BTR Baton Rouge LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from MOB, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.