- Date
- November 14, 2021, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stanley, ID · Airport Environment
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8509BCessna 172
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20211114019519A
- Case key
- 104264
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 failure to attain sufficient airspeed for the airplane to climb with a tailwind.
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
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the takeoff from a grass/dirt runway, the airplane encountered tailwind gusts and had a long ground roll. After the airplane became airborne and cleared the end of the runway, a noticeable degradation of performance was observed. The stall warning horn began to buzz, and the airplane started to descend. While maneuvering the airplane to avoid obstacles, the airplane continued to descend. He performed a forced landing resulting in substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A weather observation station located about 30 miles south; reported that, about 20 minutes after the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The airplane was taking off from runway 3.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8509B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36209
- Built
- 1957
- Airframe hours
- 3,109.3
- Engine
- Continental O-330A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joel A LaFleur
- Registered owner
- Joel A LaFleur
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 2021 · 15.6 hours before
- Destination
- U88 · Garden Valley, ID
- Airport
- 2U8 · Thomas Creek, runway 03, 2,100 × 75 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 48
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 18, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,800 total · 118.2 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- KSNT, 33 nm away
- METAR
- KSNT 141851Z AUTO VRB03G25KT 12/02 A3027 RMK AO1 SLP204 T01220022
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.