NTSB Factual Report

On May 7, 2011, at 1030 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7317W, was substantially damaged during collision with terrain after takeoff from a 1,200-foot private grass strip in Ocilla, Georgia. The certificated private pilot/owner and three passengers sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane was destined for Fitzgerald Municipal Airport (FZG), Fitzgerald, Georgia, approximately four miles north, for a fuel purchase.

The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the site that he turned the airplane to the right immediately after liftoff, to avoid a tree in its flight path. According to the pilot, the engine stopped producing power, the stall warning activated, and the airplane remained in a right bank until ground contact. The Chief of Police, a certificated pilot, reported that he turned off the fuel boost pump, the magnetos, and moved the fuel selector from the right tank position to the off position upon his arrival at the scene. He stated that he later disconnected the battery. When he was asked what the fuel state of the airplane was, the Chief said the left tank was "dry" and the right tank contained "not very much" fuel.

The airplane came to rest upright in a cultivated field less than one-half mile from the departure strip. Photographs taken by first responders revealed significant tip-curling, leading edge gouging, and chord-wise scratching of both propeller blades. There was impact damage to the lower engine cowling, right-wing leading edge, and a broken windscreen on the left side of the cockpit. There was no visible evidence of an in-flight or post-crash fire. After first responders cleared the scene, local police periodically checked on the wreckage in to the late evening hours.

The FAA inspector responded to the scene the following day and found the airframe destroyed by fire. The fire damage was limited to the cockpit and cabin areas, which were completely consumed. The engine compartment forward of the firewall displayed only minor fire damage and neither wing was burned.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate, with a rating for airplane single engine land. He reported 450 hours of flight experience, of which 100 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot’s most recent third class medical certificate was issued December 18, 2008.

The airplane was manufactured in 1963, and the pilot/owner reported that there were approximately 3,200 total hours on the airframe. The pilot stated that the logbooks were destroyed in the fire that occurred in the cabin in the overnight hours following the accident.

The airplane was recovered from the field, and a detailed examination of the airframe and powerplant conducted by both the FAA inspector and an NTSB investigator revealed no evidence of pre-impact anomalies.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.