| Crash location | 43.425556°N, 117.343333°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Ontario, OR
44.026553°N, 116.962938°W 45.7 miles away |
| Tail number | N9670T |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 04 Feb 2007 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-38-112 |
| Additional details: | None |
During a takeoff from a remote airstrip of hard-packed gravel, the pilot held the control yoke in the full aft position during the entire takeoff roll. Due to the position of the control yoke, the aircraft used considerably more runway than it would have if the yoke had been in the near-neutral position. After lifting off approximately 1,600 feet down the 1,840 foot runway, the aircraft traveled about 300 more feet before settling into a reservoir that was just off the departure end of the runway. In the Operators Safety Recommendation section of the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot wrote "Better takeoff technique." There was no report of any engine or flight control problem.
The pilot's failure to obtain and maintain an airspeed above Vs after lifting off of a remote gravel airstrip. Factors include the pilot's failure to correctly understand the procedure to use for a soft-field takeoff.