Piper J3C N24918

Summary

On 7 June 2014 at about 17:05 local time, a Piper J3C registered N24918, operated by Berg Robert O, was involved in an accident near Paso Robles, California, 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

7 June 2014 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Paso Robles, California, United States

Nearest airport

Oak Country Ranch (33CL)

Coordinates

35.5597, -120.7922

Aircraft

Piper J3C

Registration

N24918

Category

Airplane

Year built

1939

Engines

1

Operator

Berg Robert O

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paso Robles → Paso Robles

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14FA234

2 people died.

The pilot's steep right turn shortly after takeoff, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses observed the airplane lift off and, about midfield, start a right turn. The bank angle continued to steepen until the wings were vertical to the ground. The airplane appeared to be moving very slowly; the nose then lowered directly toward the ground. It is likely that during this steep turn, the airplane exceeded its critical angle-of-attack and stalled. The airplane came to rest about 500 feet abeam the midpoint of the runway, and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A caretaker at the pilot's ranch reported that he had observed numerous takeoffs and had never seen the pilot make a midfield turn. The pilot normally turned left or right at the departure end of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.