Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Farr Field Airpot Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Harpswell, Maine 04079
Saturday, January 8, 2000 21:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed on runway 32, an unlighted turf runway on a dark night. When he rotated, he lost sight of the trees on the sides of the runway, and the runway ahead. The right wing of the airplane struck trees on the right side of the runway prior to the departure end of the runway. The pilot continued with the takeoff and climbed to altitude. He reported that he was not certain if the wind drifted the airplane to the right, or he initiated a slight right turn. Winds in the area were reported to be from 210 to 220 degrees at 10 to 14 knots. Upon landing at a nearby airport, examination of the airplane revealed the right main landing gear was bent rearward, and the spar of the right horizontal stabilator had been bent rearward.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
was the improper decision of the pilot to depart at night, from an unlighted runway with no visual references to obstructions on the sides of the runway. Factors were the dark night conditions, and the lack of runway side lights.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/8/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2100 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | HARPSWELL |
| Event State | MAINE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 04079 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | FARR FIELD AIRPOT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ME33 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 70 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2055 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 43 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NHZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 75 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 10 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1400 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 1:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8463X |
| NTSB Number | NYC00LA065 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-8229009 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3617 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 20 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 35 |
| Airframe Hours | 3354 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PATRICK P. DE CAVAIGNAC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 287 KENT STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | BROOKLINE |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02146 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ME33 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2100 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PWM |
| Destination City | PORTLAND |
| Destination State | ME |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 1900 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |