Piper PA 18-150 N83417

Summary

On 26 October 2013 at about 23:15 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N83417 was involved in an accident near Twin Falls, Idaho, United States. 2 people were 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

26 October 2013 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Twin Falls, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

42.5560, -114.4682

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N83417

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Twin Falls → Logan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14CA035

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's loss of aircraft control during the rejected takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane had just completed an uneventful local flight, taking off and landing in a ploughed field adjacent to the home of his friend. A short time later he prepared for the return flight to his home base, and prior to departure he moved his seat forward to accommodate the passenger behind. During the takeoff roll he inadvertently moved the mixture control with his left knee, and the engine began to lose power. He aborted the takeoff, and as he applied brake pressure, the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane had recently been rebuilt, with the mixture control positioned in the lower left corner of the instrument panel, just above the pilot's left knee. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.