Piper PA-601P incident near Manassas, Virginia, December 13, 2002
On December 13, 2002 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-601P, registered N141AJ, suffered minor damage in an incident near Manassas, Virginia (Manassas Region 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot' failure to maintain directional control during an aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2002 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Manassas, Virginia · Manassas Region · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-601P
- Registration
- N141AJ · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0680-7963320
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot taxied onto the runway, and once cleared for takeoff, he advanced the throttles. He used differential braking to maintain runway alignment until reaching 40 knots of indicated airspeed (KIAS), and then switched to the rudder. Approximately 65 KIAS, the pilot felt a shudder that seemed to come from the wheels, which he initially thought was caused by standing water on the runway. Within a second, he felt a second shudder, and started to have directional control problems. Because the airplane was "...well below rotation speed," he aborted the takeoff. He closed both throttles, and within 2 seconds, the airplane yawed left and departed the runway. On rain-soaked sod, the airplane slid approximately 1,000 feet before coming to a stop. The airplane received minor damage during the accident sequence and substantial damage during recovery. Visibility was 3 miles in rain, and the runway had standing water on it. Examination of the engines and airframe revealed no preimpact failures or malfunctions.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,593 hours in all; 405 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,403 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,471.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2002; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-AA1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO-540-AA1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEF Manassas VA at 1:30 am
- Destination: PVG Norfolk VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from HEF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.