Piper PA-18 N8967C

Summary

On 26 February 2000 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N8967C, operated by Leonard F. Firth, was involved in an accident near New Ulm, Texas, 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

26 February 2000 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

New Ulm, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.8698, -96.4893

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N8967C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Leonard F. Firth

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brookshire → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW00LA086

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a fence during the aborted landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Upon arrival at the destination, the pilot flew the airplane over the grass airstrip, and noted that the wind was 90 degrees to the runway at a speed of 10 to 12 knots. The pilot reported that when the airplane descended below the tree height, the airplane 'floated more than expected and when I touched down, the surface of the strip had gopher mounds making aircraft braking ineffective so I added power to abort the landing. The aircraft seemed to be in a downdraft and was hesitant to fly, but I was committed at this point and continued.' The airplane struck a barbed wire fence at the end of the runway and the propeller became entangled with the fence. The aircraft continued to climb to the height of the treetops and 'lost power'. Subsequently, the main landing gear struck the trees causing the airplane to nose over and come to rest in a brush pile.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.