Piper PA 18-150 N91106

Summary

On 12 July 2014 at about 01:15 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N91106 was involved in an accident near Monte Vista, Colorado, 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

12 July 2014 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Monte Vista, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Van Treese (0CO9)

Coordinates

37.6583, -106.0339

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N91106

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pagosa Springs → Monte Vista

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA361

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angleofattack during a go-around following impact with a barley crop, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to conduct a shallow approach with the airplane facing directly into the setting sun, which resulted in sun glare.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a personal flight and attempting to land the airplane. He reported that, due to equipment obstructing the 2,600-ft-long dirt runway at midfield, he conducted a shallow approach to land on the eastern half of the shortened runway with the airplane pointed west almost directly into the setting sun, which resulted in sun glare. When the airplane was about 100 ft east of the end of the runway, the main landing gear impacted a 2-ft-tall barley crop, which slowed the airplane. The pilot initiated a go-around, but he did not attain sufficient speed to maintain flight and exceeded the airplane's critical angle-of-attack. The airplane subsequently stalled, impacted terrain on the edge of the runway, and then came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the vertical tail surfaces. The pilot was not injured and exited the airplane without assistance. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.