- Date
- December 17, 1997, 16:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Valley Center, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N32737Piper J-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971217039589A
- Case key
- 10812
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 excessive pull up after lift-off and failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb, which resulted in a stall and collision with wooded terrain.
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
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he felt and heard what he thought was the limbs of nearby trees brushing the right wingtip. He reported, 'I now know the shudder of a near stall caused the door window at my right to rattle. My reflex action was a left turn, the sure way to start a spin from a pre-stall attitude.' The airplane rotated to the right and cart-wheeled off the right wingtip and hit trees. The airplane came to rest in an inverted position with the tail resting vertically in the trees. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by, 'decreasing the climb angle sooner after liftoff.'
Factual narrative
On December 17, 1997, at 1620 central standard time, a Piper J-3, N32737, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the terrain during takeoff climb. The airplane rolled to the right and the right wing impacted the ground. The airplane flipped inverted and came to rest on its back. The private pilot received minor injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed a private grass airstrip and was on a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff he felt and heard what he thought was the limbs of nearby trees brushing the right wingtip. The pilot reported, "I now know the shudder of a near stall caused the door window at my right to rattle. My reflex action was a left turn, the sure way to start a spin from a pre-stall attitude."
The pilot reported that the airplane rotated to the right and cart-wheeled off the right wingtip when it hit the trees. The airplane came to rest in an inverted position with the tail resting vertically in the trees.
The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by, "decreasing the climb angle sooner after liftoff."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32737
- Reported as
- Piper J-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5569
- Airframe hours
- 2,660
- Engine
- Continental C-75F-12, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles Rishel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 1997 · 22 hours before
- Airport
- Brand Farm, runway 17, 1,400 × 25 ft, grass/turf
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
- 77
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,804 total · 249 in this make and model · 1,042 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.