- Date
- January 4, 1989, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Limington, ME
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5704DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890104000169A
- Case key
- 36264
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse wind conditions, lack of pilot experience in the type of aircraft, and the lack of shoulder harness/upper body restraint during impact.
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 aircraft was observed on an approach in gusty, crosswind conditions. At the threshold, the pilot pulled up with application of power & initiated a go-around & a left turn. The aircraft passed very low over trees near the runway. Witnesses reported they observed the tail pitch up & the aircraft descended in a nose down attitude & crashed. No pre-existing failure or malfunction was found with the aircraft. A SIGMET for occasional severe turbulence below 6000' & windshear was in effect. High winds were noted over a large area. There was no record of a wx briefing for the pilot. The aircraft had been converted to a tailwheel configuration via STC. It was not equipped with shoulder harnesses. The front seat passenger died from a severe head injury. The low time pilot had only 6 hrs flight time in this make & model of aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5704D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4400
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stanley E. Stearns
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 14, 1987
- Departed
- Lyman, ME
- Airport
- 63B · Limington-Harmon, runway 29, 3,000 × 50 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 85 total · 6 in this make and model · 52 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 20 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 7 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PWM, 17 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 N5704D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.