Piper PA-28-140 accident near Lyman, Washington, May 23, 1999
On May 23, 1999 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6216W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lyman, Washington. 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-in-command's improper execution of takeoff procedures, and his delay in aborting the takeoff. Contributing factors were the fence post and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1999 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lyman, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6216W · no longer on the register · serial 28-20252
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he initiated takeoff from a field of three inch high grass utilizing short field takeoff procedures and with the flaps retracted. As he approached the upwind end of the 1,680 foot field he applied '1 notch (10 degrees) of flaps' and then 'waited until the end and then pulled the plane in the air.' A witness reported observing the aircraft's flaps 'at 0 degrees' and that 'the aircraft was maintaining a high angle of attack and not climbing upon rotation from the runway. It continued in this attitude at about 5 feet off the ground until one of the main landing gear wheels hit a fence post on the airport boundary fence.' The pilot reported that 'about 500' or so from the tree line I could see there was just no way to get over the trees or build enough airspeed, so I pulled all power and landed in what room was left. [I] applied full brakes, then I could tell I wasn't going to stop in time, so I turned the airplane just a little to the left & crashed between 2 trees which pulled the wings off.' The Owner's Handbook for the PA-28-140 stated that both 'short field' and 'soft field' takeoffs should be conducted with two notches of flaps (25 degrees) and that 'Premature or excessive raising of the nose will result in a delayed take-off. After take-off let the aircraft accelerate to the desired climb speed by lowering the nose slightly.'
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: 96 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 96 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1998; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 06S Acme WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from NUW, 24 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.