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20181213023479A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Valparaiso, IN · December 13, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 13, 2018 · 10:45 local
Place
Valparaiso, IN
Airport
Porter County Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N6785P
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN19FA044
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
150 total28 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days
N6785PRegistration cancelled May 8, 2021 · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-1916 · Built 1960Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

On December 13, 2018, the pilot-in-command (PIC) of N6785P, a Piper PA-24-250 aircraft, was departing Porter county regional airport (vpz) on a return flight to his home base at griffith-merrillville airport (05C). The weather at vpz was clear and not a factor.

The PIC departed vpz on runway 9 and began what appeared to be a normal climb out. At approximately the midfield point and an estimated 300 feet AGL, the plane is seen on video cameras at the airport entering a right-hand spin. The plane continues in the spin until it impacted the ground. The impact point was approximately 4300 feet from the departure end of runway 9 and approximately 185 feet right of the right edge of the runway and nearly vertical impact angle. The aircraft wreckage was well contained, consistent with the high angle of impact. There was no post-accident fire, and the aircraft was buried in the ground approximately 1-2 feet around the engine compartment. Post-accident investigation of the aircraft determined the flight controls were operating normally and the engine was capable of producing normal power. Damage to the propeller is consistent with the engine at a low power setting at impact.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 13, 2018, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) OF N6785P, A PIPER PA-24-250 AIRCRAFT, WAS DEPARTING PORTER COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (VPZ) ON A RETURN FLIGHT TO HIS HOME BASE AT GRIFFITH-MERRILLVILLE AIRPORT (05C). THE WEATHER AT VPZ WAS CLEAR AND NOT A FACTOR.

THE PIC DEPARTED VPZ ON RUNWAY 9 AND BEGAN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL CLIMB OUT. AT APPROXIMATELY THE MIDFIELD POINT AND AN ESTIMATED 300 FEET AGL, THE PLANE IS SEEN ON VIDEO CAMERAS AT THE AIRPORT ENTERING A RIGHT-HAND SPIN. THE PLANE CONTINUES IN THE SPIN UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE IMPACT POINT WAS APPROXIMATELY 4300 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 9 AND APPROXIMATELY 185 FEET RIGHT OF THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND NEARLY VERTICAL IMPACT ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS WELL CONTAINED, CONSISTENT WITH THE HIGH ANGLE OF IMPACT. THERE WAS NO POST-ACCIDENT FIRE, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS BURIED IN THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 1-2 FEET AROUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DETERMINED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AND THE ENGINE WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NORMAL POWER. DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ENGINE AT A LOW POWER SETTING AT IMPACT.

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 CEN19FA044Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportValparaiso, INThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall and spin.Dec 13, 2018 · Destroyed

Other reports on N6785P · 1

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

Accident 20180321009779ALanding: Touchdown · Knox, INStudent instruction for aircraft owner. On about the 10th landing, the airplane ballooned and landed hard. The left wing was bent downward at about the halfway point.Mar 21, 2018 · Substantial damage