Piper PA-22-150 N3126Z

Summary

On 26 April 1997 at about 21:05 local time, a Piper PA-22-150 registered N3126Z was involved in an accident near Holland, Michigan, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 April 1997 at 21:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Holland, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Park Township (HLM)

Coordinates

42.7704, -86.1008

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-150

Registration

N3126Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97FA116

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush and subsequent impact with trees and then a residence. A related factor was turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to one of the passengers, during the flare/touchdown as the airplane got down near the runway, there was considerable turbulence, the airplane traveled down the runway without landing for a considerable distance, when the [pilot] decided to go around.' He said that as they passed the end of the runway, he felt the tail of the airplane was low and, '...they seemed to be floating just over the tops of the trees with wiggling type motion by the plane.' He said that the pilot said that, '... the airplane won't climb,' and they were barely clearing the trees. The left wing went down, the airplane hit the trees and impacted into a garage roof. Prior to the flight the pilot had told one passenger that he had never flown the airplane with a passenger in the rear seat which was the case on this flight. A post accident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no pre-existing anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.