Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Everglades Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Everglades City, Florida 34139
Sunday, May 16, 2004 14:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he performed a run-up of the engine prior to departing the airport and found no problems. He said he then back-taxied to runway 15 for departure and during the take-off roll, the engine seemed to be fine. He further stated that at 65-68 knots he rotated but the aircraft did not leave the ground so he let the aircraft accelerate to 75 knots. The pilot says he then pulled back on the yoke, and the aircraft lifted off the runway and torqued to the left which he attempted to counteract by using the right rudder. He said that at this point the engine seemed "diminished" but that it was not sputtering. He said he then lowered the nose and the aircraft began descending at which time he lowered the landing gear. He says he saw a small island of trees and set the aircraft down in the trees. The passenger seated in the right front seat stated that before takeoff the pilot performed an engine check and it was running fine. During the takeoff roll the pilot pulled the aircraft up at about 65 miles per hour. He thought they were lifting off early for they still had over half of the runway left. The pilot pulled the nose up too steep and at about 300 feet the airplane began to stall and the left wing dropped. The pilot tried to gain speed by dropping the nose and leveling off. They did not have enough altitude and the airplane kept dropping and went into the trees. As far as he could tell there was nothing wrong with the airplane. Postcrash examination and testing of the airplane structure and flight control systems, airplane and engine fuel system, engine, propeller, fuel control, propeller governor, and the stall warning system switch showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during climb after takeoff resulting in an inadvertent stall, uncontrolled descent, and impact in a wooded area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/16/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Everglades City |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34139 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 255055N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0812324W |
| Event Location Airport | Everglades Airpark |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | X01 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 150 |
| Airport Elevation | 5 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAPF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1800 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 4 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17191 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Collier County Sheriff's Depar |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 16 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1445 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 27 2005 3:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA Miami FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N33840 |
| NTSB Number | MIA04LA084 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7535205 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 28 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 5481 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David B. Ford |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1010 Royal Pass Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Tampa |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33602 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | William R. Caudle |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2912 San Nicholas Street |
| Operator City | Tampa |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33629 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | X01 |
| Departure City | Everglades City |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1415 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TPF |
| Destination City | Tampa |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 2400 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |