Piper PA 18 N3286Z

Summary

On 11 September 2016 at about 19:58 local time, a Piper PA 18 registered N3286Z was involved in an accident near Greenville, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 September 2016 at 19:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenville, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Greenville Municipal Airport (6D6)

Coordinates

43.1392, -85.2561

Aircraft

Piper PA 18

Registration

N3286Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1959

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greenville → Hillsdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA366

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's premature turn during the takeoff climb and subsequent turn to avoid trees, which resulted in his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, during the takeoff climb for the personal cross-country flight, he turned the airplane too early and at too low of an altitude to clear the trees ahead. The pilot then turned the airplane to avoid the trees, and it stalled. As he continued to try to maneuver the airplane away from the trees, the airplane entered a secondary stall, descended, and impacted terrain in a vertical attitude. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane, engine, or related systems that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.