Piper PA-18-150 N9682P

Summary

On 4 May 2003 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N9682P was involved in an accident near Gordon, Nebraska, United States. One person was 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

4 May 2003 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Gordon, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

42.7333, -102.2083

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N9682P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gordon → Wounded Knee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI03LA121

Nobody was injured.

The pilots failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. Contributing factors to this accident were the rain, hail, and wind gusts.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage when it stalled on takeoff and impacted terrain. The pilot reported observing approaching weather which he described as a squall line approximately two miles west of his location. He also noted that a light rain had started and was accompanied by pea-size hail. Weather conditions reported by the Pine Ridge Airport (IEN) automated surface observing system, at 1530, were winds from 340 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots, 10 miles visibility, and few clouds at 3,300 feet above ground level. The weather report included a notation of thunderstorms in the vicinity and lightening in the distance to the west and southwest. The pilot recalled taking off to the south and had begun his initial climb. He reported that the aircraft started to buffet and he "knew a stall was coming." In his statement the pilot noted the "aircraft stalled on takeoff, not enough altitude for recovery." The aircraft bounced and the right wing and main landing gear impacted the terrain. The aircraft then nosed over.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.