Piper PA 12 N4040M

Summary

On 22 November 2017 at about 19:53 local time, a Piper PA 12 registered N4040M was involved in an accident near Dickinson, North Dakota, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

22 November 2017 at 19:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Dickinson, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

47.0214, -102.8103

Aircraft

Piper PA 12

Registration

N4040M

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

Dickinson → Williston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA039

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to attain adequate airspeed during the short field takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was attempting a takeoff from an industrial truck yard in 24- to 31-knot gusting headwind conditions. He performed a short field takeoff procedure with the wing flaps extended about halfway. As the airplane reached about 30 knots, the airplane's tailwheel lifted off the ground, then the pilot fully extended the flaps and the airplane became airborne. Shortly afterward, the right wing dropped. As he was recovering from the right bank, the pilot retracted the flaps from fully extended back to half extension and confirmed that the throttle was full forward. At that time, the airplane turned sharply to the right and descended into a parked trailer. A witness reported that, shortly after becoming airborne, the airplane entered a 35° right bank. The pilot corrected slightly; however, at that point, the airplane started a more abrupt climb, "snap rolled" to the right, and impacted the trailer inverted. The bank and roll to the right are consistent with an aerodynamic stall. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. The exact position of the wing flaps at the time of impact could not be determined. The dirt- and gravel-surfaced takeoff area was about 750 ft long and was rough and uneven. The uneven takeoff area may have reduced the airplane's acceleration during the takeoff ground roll, and the gusty wind condition may have contributed to the stall once airborne. In addition, given the limited takeoff distance available, the pilot may have rotated the airplane at a slower-than-normal airspeed, thereby increasing the possibility of an inadvertent stall. Additionally, the extension and retraction of the wing flaps during takeoff resulted in abrupt changes in the airplane's angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall, which precipitated the pilot's loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.