- Date
- April 7, 2006, 12:19 local (17:19 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeview, AR
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4316TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Little Rock
- FAA report
- 20060407004759A
- Case key
- 63454
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 inadequate weather evaluation and failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor was the prevailing tailwind.
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 700-hour private pilot of the single-engine airplane collided with trees and terrain at the departure end of runway 06 while attempting to depart the 3,200-foot long, by 55-foot wide turf runway with a 17 knot tailwind. The pilot reported that he encountered a wind reversal at treetop level. The pilot further reported that the airplane began "mushing forward on the edge of a stall" while in a nose high attitude. The airplane subsequently collided with a tree and came to rest in a large tree. At 1153, a weather reporting facility located approximately five miles east of the accident site reported wind from 240 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot added that the "visibility was good, but the atmosphere was turbulent and unstable." Runway 06 features 30-foot tall trees on the left side and the departure end on the runway. The published airport procedures for obstacle clearance at the accident airport was to use of runway 06 for departures and runway 24 for arrivals.
Factual narrative
The 700-hour private pilot of the single-engine airplane collided with trees and terrain at the departure end of runway 06 while attempting to depart the 3,200-foot long, by 55-foot wide turf runway with a 17 knot tailwind. The pilot reported that he encountered a wind reversal at treetop level. The pilot further reported that the airplane began "mushing forward on the edge of a stall" while in a nose high attitude. The airplane subsequently collided with a tree and came to rest in a large tree. At 1153, a weather reporting facility located approximately five miles east of the accident site reported wind from 240 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot added that the "visibility was good, but the atmosphere was turbulent and unstable." Runway 06 features 30-foot tall trees on the left side and the departure end on the runway. The published airport procedures for obstacle clearance at the accident airport is the use of runway 06 for departures and runway 24 for arrivals.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4316T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7225137
- Airframe hours
- 3,915.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark D WIllis
- Registered owner
- Willis D MArk
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2005 · 17.1 hours before
- Departed
- K3M0 · Lakeview, AR
- Destination
- KHRO · Harrison, AR
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- K3MO · Gastons Airport, runway 06, 3,200 × 75 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
- 75
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 490 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.53 inHg
- Observed at
- KBPK, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.