Piper PA-12 N3743M
25 October 1992 · Lowman, Idaho, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 25 October 1992 at about 17:50 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N3743M, operated by Harpham, Samuel E., was involved in an accident near Lowman, Idaho, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 17:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lowman, Idaho, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.1398, -115.3202
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12
- Registration
- N3743M
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Harpham, Samuel E.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Graham Airstrip → Boise
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA93FA010
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. FACTORS INCLUDE MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY TERRAIN, TREES, AND THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT OF THE PIPER PA-12 SPENT ABOUT 45 MINUTES MANEUVERING AT LOW LEVEL IN AND AROUND STEEP CANYONS IN THE ROUGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. HE THEN LANDED AT THE REMOTE FOREST SERVICE AIRSTRIP, AND SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR ON THE GROUND. AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE AIRSTRIP, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LESS THAN 50 FEET ABOVE TREETOP LEVEL ALONG AN UNEVEN FORESTED RIDGE. WITNESSES INDICATED THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT BEHIND SOME TREES ABOUT FIVE SECONDS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY, AND AT OR NEAR FULL POWER, UNTIL THEY HEARD THE NOISE FROM THE IMPACT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-12 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 1992 | Piper PA-12-150 | Birchwood, Alaska, United States | Donald Barber | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Bradenton, Florida, United States | Corkleigh E. White | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 May 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Port Heiden, Alaska, United States | Peter D. Hickey | No injuries | - |
| 22 May 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Port Bainbridge, Alaska, United States | Bruce Johnson | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Klutina Lake, Alaska, United States | Mayeur, Clint | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Kantishna, Alaska, United States | Stephen and Gwen Mathis | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Apr 1992 | Cessna 182B | Dixie, Idaho, United States | Leonard, James A. and Linda K. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 1992 | Bell 47G3-B2A | Montpelier, Idaho, United States | Wood, Brent V. | No injuries | - |
| 8 May 1992 | Aviat A-1 | Arco, Idaho, United States | Bjornson, Donald R. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Dec 1992 | Piper PA-46 | Twin Falls, Idaho, United States | David & Patricia Wilson | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 1992 | Maule M5-180C | Garden Valley, Idaho, United States | Kurt C. Larson | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 1992 | Bellanca 7GCBC | Arco, Idaho, United States | Gregory L. POE | No injuries | - |