Piper PA-28-235 N9124W

Summary

On 8 January 2006 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N9124W was involved in an accident near Mammoth Lakes, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 January 2006 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mammoth Lakes, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mammoth Yosemite (MMH)

Coordinates

37.6325, -118.8994

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N9124W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mammoth Lakes → San Luis Obispo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06FA082

2 people died.

the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed resulting in a stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane rolled right and collided with terrain during the initial climb after takeoff. A surviving passenger said that the takeoff and initial climb rate seemed normal. The passenger reported that about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes into the flight, the airplane, unexpectedly and without warning, went hard right and pitched straight down into the ground. Ground witnesses said that the airplane was 150 to 200 feet above the ground, and did not appear to gain any additional altitude. One witness, on an access road just north of the airport, had a profile view of the airplane during the majority of the accident sequence. He reported an "excessive" angle of attack on the takeoff. He saw the nose pitch down, and thought the airplane was about 100 feet above the ground. The witness then saw the nose pitch up again, increasing the angle of attack. The pitch attitude was steep; the witness said he was able to see the tops of the wings. He stated that the airplane flew straight ahead under controlled conditions, but appeared to be "mushing" through the air. He lost sight of the airplane as he rounded a bend in the road. When he saw the airplane again it was in a left descending spiral. Investigators found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.