Piper PA32 N4078W accident near Hereford, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot lost control of the airplane during takeoff; it subsequently impacted the ground near the departure end of the runway and was destroyed. The pilot reported that she had no memory of her preflight activity or takeoff. A witness observed the airplane in a nose-high, tail-low attitude during the takeoff but lost sight of the airplane behind hangars. He noted that the engine sounded like it was at full power. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Data recovered from an onboard engine monitor did not reveal any indication of a loss of engine power during takeoff. The airplane was loaded within the gross weight and center-of-gravity limits. Performance data indicated that the available runway length was sufficient for takeoff. It is likely that the pilot overrotated during takeoff and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall, which resulted in the airplane departing controlled flight and impacting the ground.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18LA378 for the full record.