20200815013349A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-14 · Susanville, CA · August 15, 2020

Date: August 15, 2020 · 13:15 local
Place: Susanville, CA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N91449
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA270
Reported as: Piper PA-14
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 225 total

N91449Registration cancelled Sep 4, 2021 · Piper PA-14S/N 14-499 Airframe modelPiper PA-14

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.

Eye witness reported the aircraft departing Susanville airport (ksve) runway 07. The same eye witness stated the aircraft climbed to approximately 500 ft. when the left wing dropped aircraft began descending to the ground. The aircraft impacted the ground nose first and came to rest upright between cross runway 11/29 and the parallel taxiway. The aircraft was substantially damaged. Both wing leading edges exhibited impact damage.

As the FAA filed it

EYE WITNESS REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING SUSANVILLE AIRPORT (KSVE) RUNWAY 07. THE SAME EYE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 500 FT. WHEN THE LEFT WING DROPPED AIRCRAFT BEGAN DESCENDING TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT BETWEEN CROSS RUNWAY 11/29 AND THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. BOTH WING LEADING EDGES EXHIBITED IMPACT DAMAGE.

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 WPR20LA270Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSusanville, CAThe pilot’s decision to conduct a steep departure at a high-density altitude and the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a climb, which resulted in an accelerated stall and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was…Aug 15, 2020 · Substantial damage