# Accident 19980412006459A: Piper PA20, Beaver Falls, PA, April 12, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 12, 1998, 18:50 local time - Place: Beaver Falls, PA - Airport: Beaver County Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.7607° N, 80.3198° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7607&lon=-80.3198&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2336A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2336A-2004-07-14) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-20 (registry code 7102002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA20 - Reported engine: LYC O290 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 850 total, 3 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98FA044) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980412006459A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 150 FT AGL AND 2000FT DOWN RUNWAY. ROLLED LEFT AND DOWN. HIT EMBANKMENT AND BURNED. BREAK IN STABLIZER CABLE. (.4)A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE AIRPORT TOWARDS THE WEST, WITH A TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE 'FISHTAILED' DOWN THE RUNWAY, AND ONCE AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS ROCKED BACK AND FORTH SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT WENT INTO A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE. THE LEFT WING DROPPED, THE AIRPLANE MADE A DESCENDING TURN TO THE SOUTH, IMPACTED AN EMBANKMENT AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS HEARD RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE TAKEOFF SEQUENCE. THE PILOT PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND HAD THE PREVIOUS OWNER FLY WITH HIM, AFTER THE PURCHASE, TO FAMILIARIZE HIM WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS THE FIRST TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE WITHOUT A STICK THAT THE PILOT HAD FLOWN. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT MOST OF HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN IN AN ERCOUPE THAT DID NOT HAVE RUDDERS AND FLAPS. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN 9 TIMES IN THE PAST 11 YEARS, AND HAD ACCUMULATED 3.1 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. NO PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRPLANE OR THE ENGINE WAS FOUND. (-23)WITNESS RELATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD PROBLEM STABILIZING ON TAKE-OFF. AT APPROXIMATELY 50'-150' ABOVE GROUND AND 200 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A 5 FOOT SLOPED EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST BELLT DOWN ON A HEADING OF 273. SHORTLY AFTER, IT BURST INTO FLAMES. NOTE: PILOT HAD ONLY 3.1 HOURS IN THIS TYPE MODEL AIRCRAFT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB IAD98FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98FA044), Apr 12, 1998: Piper PA-20 (N2336A), Beaver Falls, PA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and his failure to attain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall. Contributing was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane, and his… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.