Piper Aircraft Inc PA-28-181 N771ND accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to attain a proper takeoff attitude while demonstrating a soft field takeoff and his improper control inputs resulting in a dragged wing. Contributing to the accident were the gusting wind conditions.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor and his student were performing a soft field take off following a touch-and-go landing. The operator reported that the airplane started to drift to the left with a “higher than normal” pitch attitude and the airplane encountered a wind gust. The right wing dropped and contacted the runway surface. According to the flight instructor, during the take-off, the student “instantly” applied right aileron, instead of right rudder, to maintain the runway centerline. The flight instructor took over controls and continued the takeoff. While in the traffic pattern, the flight instructor noticed an “abnormality” on the right wing and landed the airplane without further incident. A visual inspection found that the right aileron sustained substantial damage. The operator stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident wind was recorded as 160° at 17 knots with gusts to 29 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA234 for the full record.