Piper J3L-65 N81BF

Summary

On 25 July 2011 at about 16:45 local time, a Piper J3L-65 registered N81BF, operated by Steven A. Staples, was involved in an accident near Van Dyne, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 July 2011 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Van Dyne, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

43.8881, -88.4544

Aircraft

Piper J3L-65

Registration

N81BF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Steven A. Staples

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oshkosh → Oshkosh

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11FA505

2 people died.

The pilot’s inability to maintain airplane control while maneuvering for reasons that could not be determined from the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was one of a flight of two that departed for a local sightseeing flight over the lake. The pilot of the other airplane stated that they flew east to the lake and followed the lake shore south at altitudes varying between 1,000 and 1,400 feet. He stated that the accident airplane began a maneuver by pitching up and then climbing. The left wing then dropped and the airplane yawed to the left and descended. During the descent, the airplane became inverted, and the nose of the airplane started to rise and the airplane began to roll to the right. As the airplane rolled, the right wing contacted the water and the airplane crashed into the lake. Rescue divers reported the rear seat passenger was not restrained and the pilot was restrained in his seat. It is possible that there could have been some inadvertent interference with the flight controls by the passenger, but it could not be determined conclusively. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any failures or malfunctions that would have resulted in the loss of control. An autopsy performed on the pilot determined that multiple cysts that were caused by a parasite were located in the white matter of his brain. It could not be determined if this condition played a role in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.