- Date
- October 9, 1988, 10:47 local (14:47 UTC)
- Place
- Akron, NY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8179CPiper PA-18-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881009045779A
- Case key
- 36252
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 Piper PA-18-135 stalled on takeoff and crashed. Witnesses said they observed the aircraft nose high, not climbing, and at a slow airspeed. They reported that the aircraft banked left and struck trees. The aircraft descended through the trees to the ground and came to rest upside down. The CFI said he was burned while escaping the aircraft. The pvt pilot receiving instruction was unable to escape and died of burns. No problems were found with either the engine or airframe. The aircraft logbook incorrectly indicated that the aircraft gross weight was 250 lbs too high. This condition had existed since 5/19/80. At the time of the accident the aircraft was 131 lbs over the maximum gross weight of 1500 lbs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8179C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3636
- Airframe hours
- 2,176
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Western New York Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Western New York Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 25, 1988 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- 9G3 · Akron, runway 6, 3,310 × 48 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 893 total · 19 in this make and model · 737 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BUF, 12 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.
Other investigations on N8179C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.