Piper PA-22-160 N9626D

Summary

On 3 August 2012 at about 18:30 local time, a Piper PA-22-160 registered N9626D, operated by Newton Grace M, was involved in an accident near White City, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 August 2012 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

White City, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Beagle Sky Ranch (OR96)

Coordinates

42.5389, -122.9039

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-160

Registration

N9626D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Newton Grace M

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lakeview → White City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12CA343

1 person had minor injuries.

The student pilot's attempt to keep the airplane airborne and continue the takeoff after the airplane bounced off the turf runway prematurely during the takeoff roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The owner/student pilot flew from her home airport to an airstrip she had been to previously. The departure, flight, and landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane were uneventful. After shutdown at the destination airport, the pilot refueled by topping off both 18-gallon wing tanks. After that, she initiated her departure from the 3,000-foot dirt/turf runway. According to the pilot, the airplane's main landing gear bungee cords had recently been replaced and were significantly stiffer than the old ones, which caused the airplane to bounce more than she was used to on the dirt strip. At some point, the airplane bounced up off the runway, and the pilot pulled the control stick aft in order to remain airborne. The airplane began to veer to the left, and the pilot was unable to control or correct that turn. She applied more back pressure to climb over the hangar in her path and attempted to climb over the trees beyond the hangar. However, the airplane struck the trees and descended rapidly into a small clearing about 1,300 feet down the runway and about 400 feet from the runway centerline, where it stopped. Fire erupted almost immediately, but the pilot was able to exit through a cabin door. Much of the fabric-covered airplane and its contents were consumed by the fire. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane and that the wind was light and variable at the time. She also stated that the airplane became airborne prematurely due to the bounce and that she should have forced the airplane back onto the ground until it obtained sufficient speed for flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.