Piper PA-12 N3353M

Summary

On 3 July 1989 at about 21:45 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N3353M, operated by North Texas Flyers Association, was involved in an accident near Sanger, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 July 1989 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Sanger, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Bar Vk Ranch

Coordinates

33.3601, -97.1700

Aircraft

Piper PA-12

Registration

N3353M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

North Texas Flyers Association

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW89FA127

2 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AT LOW ALTITUDE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT IN WHAT THEY CHARACTEREZED AS A HIGH PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF. THEY REPORTED AN INITIAL DECK ANGLE OF ABOUT 25 DEG WHICH SHALLOWED TO ABOUT 10 DEG AS THE ACFT CLIMBED THRU 200' AGL. WITH NO APPRECIABLE ACCELERATION, AT ABOUT 300', THE ACFT ENTERED A LEFT BANK AS IF TO TURN CROSSWIND. AS THE ACFT WAS TURNING, IT ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT & CRASHED. THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 10 TO 15 KTS. THE PLT HAD LOGGED ABOUT 7 HRS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF ACFT. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OF THE ACFT OR ITS SYSTEMS WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.