- Date
- July 10, 2012, 16:30 local (Jul 11, 2012, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tynoek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4272ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120710014929A
- Case key
- 84269
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 sufficient airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 3
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 pilot stated that he was taking off from an off-airport site on a mountain ridge when an updraft lifted the right wing. The airplane entered an aerodynamic stall that the pilot was unable to recover from before the airplane impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was taking off from an off-airport site on a mountain ridge when a updraft lifted the right wing. The airplane entered an aerodynamic stall that he was unable to recover from before impacting terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4272Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8519
- Airframe hours
- 6,159
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 2012 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2012
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 731 total · 278 in this make and model · 126 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 748 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.