20030504036799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Gordon, NE · May 4, 2003

Date: May 4, 2003 · 14:30 local
Place: Gordon, NE
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9682P
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI03LA121
Reported as: Piper PA18150
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,500 total441 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N9682PRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7509024 · Built 1974 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On may 4, 2003, at approximately 1430 mountain time, Piper PA-18-150, owned and operated by donald d. hutchison, sustained substantial damage immediately following takeoff from a pasture 4 miles south of Gordon, Nebraska. The PIC was attempting to reposition the aircraft due to approaching severe weather at the time of the accident. No injury was reported by the PIC. No property damage, with the exception of the aircraft, was reported. Aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wing assemblies and the vertical stabilizer. The aircraft was partially dissassembled and transported to wounded knee, south dakota, prior to faa/ntsb notification. (-23 amendment) the aircraft had reached an altitude of approximately 50 feet when the wind direction changed to a tailwind or microburst at which point the aircraft contacted the ground.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 4, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 MOUNTAIN TIME, PIPER PA-18-150, OWNED AND OPERATED BY DONALD D. HUTCHISON, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TAKEOFF FROM A PASTURE 4 MILES SOUTH OF GORDON, NEBRASKA. THE PIC WAS ATTEMPTING TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO APPROACHING SEVERE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO INJURY WAS REPORTED BY THE PIC. NO PROPERTY DAMAGE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS REPORTED. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WING ASSEMBLIES AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARTIALLY DISSASSEMBLED AND TRANSPORTED TO WOUNDED KNEE, SOUTH DAKOTA, PRIOR TO FAA/NTSB NOTIFICATION. (-23 AMENDMENT) THE AIRCRAFT HAD REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET WHEN THE WIND DIRECTION CHANGED TO A TAILWIND OR MICROBURST AT WHICH POINT THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI03LA121Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGordon, NEThe pilots failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. Contributing factors to this accident were the rain, hail, and wind gusts.May 4, 2003 · Substantial damage