Piper PA-18-135 N3253B

Summary

On 8 July 1997 at about 14:15 local time, a Piper PA-18-135 registered N3253B was involved in an accident near Biddle, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 1997 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Biddle, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.0797, -105.3705

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-135

Registration

N3253B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Brandenberg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97LA164

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush. A factor contributing to the accident was the tailwind condition on takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot took off downhill and to the northeast with a left quartering tail wind from the southwest of approximately 5-8 knots. Shortly thereafter the aircraft crossed over a bluff where the terrain dropped off, and passed over an area populated with deciduous trees. The aircraft began to settle and the pilot executed a left turn toward the west. Just after the aircraft cleared the tree line, it impacted the ground left wing and nose low, coming to rest 49 feet beyond the initial ground impact point. A post crash fire developed and the pilot and his wife exited with minor injuries.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.