Piper PA-24-260 N8815P

Summary

On 15 June 2013 at about 23:28 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N8815P, operated by 8815 Papa LLC, was involved in an accident near La Pointe, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 2013 at 23:28

Classification

Accident

Location

La Pointe, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Major Gilbert Field (4R5)

Coordinates

46.7872, -90.7661

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N8815P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

8815 Papa LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ashland → La Pointe

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13FA351

2 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control after deciding to go around after a gear-up landing, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing the airplane after a cross-country flight. A witness heard squealing and the sound of screeching tires. He looked toward the runway and saw the airplane bouncing out of control. He reported that the airplane then went to full throttle and pitched nose-up to about 45 degrees as it started climbing. The witness thought the airplane was going to attempt another landing. He turned around, but subsequently heard an explosion. The airplane impacted in a nearby wooded area and a ground fire subsequently occurred. Broken tree branches indicated a linear downward path to where the airplane came to rest. All three propeller blade tips were ground down, consistent with contact with the runway. An examination of the runway showed a series of parallel witness slash marks consistent with propeller contact. The runway exhibited a white media transfer that approximated the path of the slash marks. Strips of copper were also found on the runway. The airplane was equipped with a white antenna mounted to its underbelly and the recovered strips of copper were consistent in shape with sections of the antenna assembly's copper sense plate. No anomalies with the airplane's engine or systems were found. Although the landing gear was found extended at the accident site, based on the evidence on the runway and the damage to the propellers and the underbelly antenna, it is likely that the pilot did not lower the landing gear during his first landing attempt.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.