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CEN23LA362

2023-08-10 · Harvard, Illinois, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 8IL0

Current FAA registration · N2351A

Make / Model
PIPER PA-38-112
Year of manufacture
1978 · 45 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19780908
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A21D8F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff that resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with the cornfield.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that prior to departure, he preflighted the airplane and found no anomalies. There no issues with his takeoff from the grass airstrip but once airborne, he felt uncomfortable to continue the flight due to hazy weather conditions. He then returned to the airstrip and landed without incident. He attempted a second takeoff with a left quartering crosswind, during which the airplane moved aggressively to the left. He applied additional right rudder control input, but the left turn increased, and the airplane impacted a cornfield about 1,000 ft down the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left- and right-wing spars and the fuselage. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by reducing the throttle setting or turning off the magnetos in a timely manner. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA362.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers