Piper PA 11 N4681M

Summary

On 19 September 2016 at about 16:00 local time, a Piper PA 11 registered N4681M was involved in an accident near Grand Isle, Vermont, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 September 2016 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Isle, Vermont, United States

Nearest airport

Savage Island (VT15)

Coordinates

44.7056, -73.2456

Aircraft

Piper PA 11

Registration

N4681M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1947

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

South Hero → South Hero

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA495

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack during a simulated engine failure and forced landing with a tailwind, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that about 450 feet above the ground, he reduced the power to idle to simulate an engine failure and forced landing. The pilot further reported that he "pushed the nose over" and made a "left tear drop turn" to land on the opposite direction of the takeoff direction. When the pilot had about 15 to 20 degrees remaining in the turn, and was about 15 to 20 feet above the ground, he reported that he increased "back stick pressure" and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. Subsequently, the left wing dropped and the airplane impacted terrain in a nose low left wing down attitude. The left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported in the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report that he misjudged the wind speed and did not realize he was completing the simulated training maneuver with a tailwind. The accident airport did not have an automated weather observing system or wind indicator.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.