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20151103020079A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Tecumseh, MI · November 3, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 3, 2015 · 14:42 local
Place
Tecumseh, MI
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9029Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN16LA029
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
45,000 total2,800 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N9029YRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8905 · Built 1970Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine 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.

PIC operated the aircraft from the front seat and had a passenger in the back seat.

Flight was about 1 hour and 20 minutes and departed with full fuel to do some air work, stalls and landings at nearby airports before returning to myers diver airport at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Entered a downwind for runway 27, which is left traffic, and turned a short base leg with the carburetor heat on and full flaps.

The approach speed was 55 mph and he crossed the fence at 53 mph with a touchdown at 43 mph on the mains about 300 ft. before runway 18-36.

Crossed the runway and the airplane took a little bounce so PIC added a little power. The tailwheel touched down and the airplane shot off 45 degrees to the left for an unknown reason.

PIC added full throttle, pushed the stick forward to get the tailwheel off the ground and added right rudder to straighten out the airplane and get it parallel to runway 27.

Once he got it straight it started to climb but then hit a dead spot and wouldn?t climb. The airplane wanted to go left with the left wing low.

PIC was looking at the top of the trees past the end of the runway and realized the airplane was mushing out and that he was not going to clear the trees.

The airspeed showed 50 mph and the stall speed should have been closer to 40 mph at our weight but it just wouldn?t climb.

PIC brought the stick all the way back and left full throttle before hitting the tree.

The engine seemed to be producing full power, but the carburetor heat was still on.

As the FAA filed it

PIC OPERATED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE FRONT SEAT AND HAD A PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT.

FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES AND DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL TO DO SOME AIR WORK, STALLS AND LANDINGS AT NEARBY AIRPORTS BEFORE RETURNING TO MYERS DIVER AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 2:30 P.M.

ENTERED A DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 27, WHICH IS LEFT TRAFFIC, AND TURNED A SHORT BASE LEG WITH THE CARBURETOR HEAT ON AND FULL FLAPS.

THE APPROACH SPEED WAS 55 MPH AND HE CROSSED THE FENCE AT 53 MPH WITH A TOUCHDOWN AT 43 MPH ON THE MAINS ABOUT 300 FT. BEFORE RUNWAY 18-36.

CROSSED THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE TOOK A LITTLE BOUNCE SO PIC ADDED A LITTLE POWER. THE TAILWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN AND THE AIRPLANE SHOT OFF 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.

PIC ADDED FULL THROTTLE, PUSHED THE STICK FORWARD TO GET THE TAILWHEEL OFF THE GROUND AND ADDED RIGHT RUDDER TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE AIRPLANE AND GET IT PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 27.

ONCE HE GOT IT STRAIGHT IT STARTED TO CLIMB BUT THEN HIT A DEAD SPOT AND WOULDN?T CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE WANTED TO GO LEFT WITH THE LEFT WING LOW.

PIC WAS LOOKING AT THE TOP OF THE TREES PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND REALIZED THE AIRPLANE WAS MUSHING OUT AND THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO CLEAR THE TREES.

THE AIRSPEED SHOWED 50 MPH AND THE STALL SPEED SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSER TO 40 MPH AT OUR WEIGHT BUT IT JUST WOULDN?T CLIMB.

PIC BROUGHT THE STICK ALL THE WAY BACK AND LEFT FULL THROTTLE BEFORE HITTING THE TREE.

THE ENGINE SEEMED TO BE PRODUCING FULL POWER, BUT THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS STILL ON.

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 CEN16LA029Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTecumseh, MIThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing and his subsequent improper decision to attempt an aborted landing after the airplane had departed the runway.Nov 3, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9029Y · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19800823077339ILow Level Operations · Oshkosh, WIWingtip struck the ground when his wig and hat blew into the pilots eyes during airshow act.Aug 23, 1980 · Minor damage