20150327003499A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J4A · Pine River, MN · March 27, 2015

Date: March 27, 2015 · 18:35 local
Place: Pine River, MN
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N30341
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15FA181
Reported as: Piper J4A
Reported engine: Continental C85 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 406 total7 in this make and model

N30341Registration cancelled Apr 18, 2018 · Piper J4AS/N 4-1168 · Built 1940 Airframe modelPiper J4A Engine modelContinental C85 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.

Pilot departed Pine River, MN (kpwc) and crashed shortly after takeoff resulting in fatal injuries to both the pilot and passenger.

Wreckage revealed very little ground scars, indicating a low forward velocity, high angle, impact. Aircraft orientation and damage are indicitive of a loss of control due a stall/spin event.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED PINE RIVER, MN (KPWC) AND CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER.

WRECKAGE REVEALED VERY LITTLE GROUND SCARS, INDICATING A LOW FORWARD VELOCITY, HIGH ANGLE, IMPACT. AIRCRAFT ORIENTATION AND DAMAGE ARE INDICITIVE OF A LOSS OF CONTROL DUE A STALL/SPIN EVENT.

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 CEN15FA181Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportPine River, MNThe pilot' failure to maintain adequate airspeed after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane's wing exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to conduct the flight…Mar 28, 2015 · Substantial damage