- Date
- May 1, 2010, 08:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6891BPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100501033049A
- Case key
- 75914
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot, with one passenger, was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal flight when the accident occurred. The purpose of the flight was to search for a missing friend in an area of remote tree and snow-covered terrain. The pilot said that while flying slow and maneuvering at 75-feet above the ground, his passenger saw the missing man lying on the ground near a snow-covered meadow. The pilot reported that as he started a right turn back to the meadow, he added engine power, and initiated a climb, but the right wing stalled. He said that he initiated a stall recovery, but that the airplane descended nose down into the trees. The pilot said that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Factual narrative
The private pilot, with one passenger, was on a personal flight to search for a missing friend in an area of remote tree- and snow-covered terrain. The pilot said that while flying slow and maneuvering at 75 feet above the ground, his passenger saw the missing man lying on the ground near a snow-covered meadow. The pilot reported that, as he started a right turn back to the meadow, he added engine power and initiated a climb but that the right wing stalled. He said that he initiated a stall recovery, but that the airplane descended nose-down into the trees. The pilot said that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6891B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5080
- Airframe hours
- 4,031
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Theodore A. Schachle
- Registered owner
- Theodore A. Schachle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Willow, AK
- Destination
- Willow, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 8, 2009
- Flight hours
- 1,232 total · 1,232 in this make and model · 34 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 751 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6891B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.