Piper PA-28-161 accident near Sanford, Maine, March 14, 1997
On March 14, 1997 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2914A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sanford, Maine (Sanford Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's premature raising of the flaps during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in a stall/mush. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's failure to maintain proper runway alignment after lift-off, which allowed the airplane to settle in snow beside the runway as it mushed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1997 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, Maine · Sanford Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2914A · registry record · serial 28-7916538
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft went off the side of the runway and collided with a snow bank during an aborted takeoff. According to the pilot, 'my intention was to execute a touch-and-go landing. After touching down and upon applying full power for the subsequent takeoff, I noted that I had neglected to retract the flaps I had set for the landing (two notches or 25 degrees). I then retracted the flaps, and the aircraft began to settle, the controls becoming less responsive. I decided to abort the takeoff and brought the power setting to idle. The aircraft touched down once on the runway to the left of center, drifting leftward as it did so, became slightly airborne again, and finally came to rest upright in the snow a few feet off the runway.' The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction and he stated that the accident could have been prevented by 'using stop and go versus touch-and-go landing procedures.'
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: student
- Flight time: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,563 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 1997; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFM at 4:20 pm
- Destination: SFM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:30 pm from SFM
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.