Piper PA 15 N4195H

Summary

On 3 July 2017 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA 15 registered N4195H, operated by Philip Cianciolo, was involved in an accident near Farmville, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 July 2017 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Farmville, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.2432, -78.5298

Aircraft

Piper PA 15

Registration

N4195H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1948

Engines

1

Operator

Philip Cianciolo

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Farmville → Frederick

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA225

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s improper decision to depart from an unsuitable off-airport surface which resulted in his subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the cross-country flight, the pilot performed a precautionary landing in a field due to a possible fuel flow issue. After determining that fuel was flowing to the engine, the pilot attempted to depart from the field, which was covered in high vegetation. The pilot reported that the condition of the field resulted in inadequate airspeed to climb out and clear the trees at the end of the field. The pilot initiated a turn, during which he exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. The left wing impacted terrain and the airplane cartwheeled. It came to rest upright, in the field and was destroyed by a postcrash fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.