Piper PA-32R-300 N38448 accident near St. Petersburg, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of directional control while taking off with a crosswind.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during takeoff the airplane began to slow down. He leveled the wings to maintain speed, but it continued to decrease. Shortly thereafter, the pilot noticed a slight crosswind, but did not correct too aggressively in an effort to avoid hitting the right wing tip on the runway. The pilot decided to abort the takeoff and the airplane touched down in the grass adjacent to the runway. The airplane continued into a dry pond, incurring substantial damage to the left wing. The weight and balance and performance calculations for the airplane revealed that at takeoff the airplane was near the maximum gross weight with a slightly forward center of gravity. Weather recorded at the airport about the time of the accident indicated that there was a 5-knot crosswind. The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10CA368 for the full record.