- Date
- February 29, 1992, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Paxson, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3372BPiper PA-18A-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920229004719A
- Case key
- 5695
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 failed to attain & maintain takeoff airspeed. Factors to the accident were: takeoff was performed with a tailwind, and inadequate remedial action.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After landing on a snow covered ridge, the pilot turned the airplane around to take off downwind and down slope. After the airplane lifted off and attained an altitude of 10 feet AGL, the pilot felt the airplane stall. The pilot nosed the airplane down to increase the airspeed. The pilot then pulled the nose of the airplane up, which again stalled. The pilot was unable to attain enough airspeed to maintain altitude and opted to abort the takeoff. During the descent in the canyon, the airplane collided with the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3372B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3496
- Airframe hours
- 2,200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- West, Jim V.
- Registered owner
- West, Jim V.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- Z93 · Copper Center, 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 440 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 5 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.