- Date
- August 21, 2008, 12:12 local (18:12 UTC)
- Place
- Sheridan, WY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1106TPiper PA-11
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080821844629A
- Case key
- 68781
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 compensation for the existing gusty wind conditions and likely windshear encounter and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed that resulted in a stall/mush.
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
Witnesses at the private dirt strip reported that it was windy during the time of the accident, though neither the pilot nor the witnesses were able to recall the exact wind velocity. The pilot reported that after clearing trees, the wind changed from a right quartering headwind and he was "blown out of the air." He was able to level the airplane before it impacted the ground and cartwheeled. The airplane came to rest in a nose down attitude abutting a tree. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
Repeated attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was taking off in a southbound direction from a private dirt strip about 16 miles southwest of the Sheridan County Airport (SHR), Sheridan, Wyoming. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that the airplane had cleared 50 foot trees and was about 100 feet above the ground, when the right quartering headwind changed and the airplane was "blown out of the air." The pilot was able to level the airplane before the airplane stuck the ground and cartwheeled, coming to rest in a nose down attitude at a tree. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot was not able to recall the wind velocity. Witnesses in the area reported that it was windy. Wind information recorded by SHR indicated that the winds were from 140 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1106T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-996
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors C90, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John R. Pierce
- Registered owner
- John R. Pierce
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SHR · Sheridan, WY
- Destination
- SHR · Sheridan, WY
- Airport
- none · Private Dirt Strip, runway 18, dirt
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2008
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.63 inHg
- Observed at
- SHR, 16 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.