# Accident 20121027023989A: Porter James Grant SUPERIOR CUB, Indianapolis, IN, October 27, 2012 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 27, 2012, 12:00 local time - Place: Indianapolis, IN - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.7078° N, 86.1575° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7078&lon=-86.1575&mi=10 - Aircraft: N97RP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N97RP) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Porter James Grant SUPERIOR CUB (registry code 05603XB, https://openairdocs.org/model/porter-james-grant-superior-cub) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PORTER JAMES GRANT SUPERIOR CUB - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 296 total, 102 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN13CA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13CA033) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121027023989A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT, THE LONE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, STARTED THE ENGINE OF N97RP AND TAXIED (EAST TO WEST) ACROSS THE VACANT FIELD ADJACENT TO AND WEST OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO DO HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS. HE PLANNED TO TAKEOFF TO THE NORTH. HE DID HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS IN THE SOUTH WEST CORNER OF THE FIELD. FOLLOWING HIS CHECKS, HE STARTED TO TAXI TOWARDS HIS TAKEOFF POINT. HE DECIDED, AT THIS TIME, THAT HE WOULD DO A ROLLING TURN FROM HIS CURRENT POSITION (TAXIING EASTBOUND) TO THE NORTH FOR THE TAKEOFF, A 90-DEGREE TURN. HE STARTED HIS TURN AS THE TAIL CAME UP. HE COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES OF THE NEEDED 90 DEGREES FOR THE PLANNED NORTHBOUND TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT, AT THIS POINT, WAS AIRBORNE. THE PILOT SAW THAT HE WAS HEADED STRAIGHT FOR PARKED CARS AND A HOUSE ADJACENT TO AND EAST OF THE TAKEOFF FIELD. HE NOTED A GAP BETWEEN TWO TREES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BACKYARD OF THE HOUSE AND DECIDED TO TRY AND EITHER CLIMB ABOVE THE TREES OR GO THROUGH THE GAP. HE APPLIED FULL FLAPS, BANKED RIGHT TOWARD THE TREES AND REPORTED THAT HE HAD A FORWARD AIRSPEED OF 20 MPH, A CLIMB RATE OF 800 FPM AND A "SOLID STICK" (AIRCRAFT FLYING, UNDER CONTROL). THIS FLIGHT PATH TOOK HIM OVER 20-30 PEOPLE ATTENDING A REUNION IN THE BACKYARD. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER THEM AT AN ALTITUDE OF 15-20 FEET. WHEN HE REACHED THE TWO TREES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BACKYARD, THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A 45-FOOT TREE AT AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 35 FEET. THE IMPACT WITH THE TREE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SWERVE SOUTHWARD AND NOSE DOWN. THE PILOT BANKED LEFT SO THAT THE WING, RATHER THAN THE FUSELAGE, WOULD TAKE THE INITIAL FORCE OF THE IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT, BASED ON WITNESS STATEMENTS, AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE TREE, CONTINUED EASTBOUND BETWEEN THE IMPACT TREE AND AN ADJACENT TREE TO THE NORTH AND TURNED TO THE SOUTH. ONCE PAST THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT BANKED TO THE LEFT AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO AND EAST OF THE BACKYARD. THE PILOT WAS WEARING A 4-POINT HARNESS. AFTER THE IMPACT, HE BROKE OUT THE SKYLIGHT WHICH WAS CRACKED, UNDID HIS HARNESS, STOOD UP AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE ONLY FUEL LEAKAGE WAS FROM THE SEVERED FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE WING TANKS. HE BENT THE SEVERED LINE TO STOP THE FUEL LEAKAGE, SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. THE PILOT'S INJURIES INCLUDED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE, FOUR BROKEN RIBS, A PUNCTURED LUNG AND NUMEROUS BRUISES.THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE WRECKAGE WAS ORIENTED EAST/WEST WITH THE NOSE POINTED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION, SOUTHEAST OF THE IMPACT TREE. THE IMPACT MARKS AND GENERAL AIRFRAME DISTORTION SHOW THAT THE LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED FIRST, WITH THE SPAR LEAVING A DEEP GOUGE IN THE GROUND (80 FEET FROM THE BASE OF THE IMPACT TREE). THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST WITH THE WINGS APPROXIMATELY 60-75 DEGREES OUT OF HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT, LEFT WING BACK. THE PROPELLER LEFT TWO GOUGES IN THE GROUND (96 FEET FROM THE BASE OF THE IMPACT TREE) BEFORE ONE PROPELLER BLADE BROKE OFF, BURYING ITSELF IN THE GROUND BENEATH THE PROP HUB. THESE INDICATIONS, ALONG WITH WITNESS STATEMENTS, INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT IMPACT. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. NO FLIGHT CONTROLS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. FLAPS WERE FOUND TO BE FULLY DOWN AND NOSE TRIM WAS SET FOR FULL NOSE DOWN. A CHECK OF THE FUEL TANKS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT SINCE THE INTEGRITY OF THE FUEL TANKS WAS NOT COMPROMISED BY THE ACCIDENT. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION CORROBORATED THE PILOT'S STATEMENT THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT OR THE ENGINE DURING THE BRIEF FLIGHT AND ENSUING CRASH SEQUENCE. IT ALSO CORROBORATED THE WITNESS' AND PILOT'S STATEMENTS REGARDING THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS SURROUNDING THE TAKEOFF, CLIMB AND SUBSEQUENT CRASH WTH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WITNESS' REFERENCES TO WIND GUSTS. ## 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 CEN13CA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13CA033), Oct 27, 2012: Porter James Grant Superior CUB (N97RP), Beechgrove, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during takeoff from a short field. ## Other reports on N97RP (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20100730039009A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100730039009A), Jul 30, 2010: Porter Jame SUPERIOR CU (N97RP), Caldwell, ID, Substantial damage. The pilot was landing runway 12, the approach was stable. The pilot performed a 3 point landing and bounced upon touchdown. The aircraft then swerved to the… 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.