Piper PA36 N132VA

Summary

On 29 July 2017 at about 19:15 local time, a Piper PA36 registered N132VA, operated by Red Willow Aviation, was involved in an accident near McCook, Nebraska, 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

29 July 2017 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

McCook, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

40.2811, -100.6242

Aircraft

Piper PA36

Registration

N132VA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Red Willow Aviation

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mc Cook → Mc Cook

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA453

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering downwind during an agricultural application flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while maneuvering at low altitude during agricultural spraying, he noticed "some shuddering (stalling)" on multiple downwind low passes. He added that, on the fourth attempt to spray on a downwind line, he experienced "severe shuddering and loss of altitude," so he applied full power and dumped the entirety of the aerial application product. He further added that, after dumping the load, the airplane was about 10 to 15 ft above ground level and still would not climb. The pilot reported that he continued to "pull back on the stick," entered a right turn to avoid obstacles ahead, and the airplane "continued to [aerodynamically] stall until impact." The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station 18 nautical miles south from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 140° at 12 knots. The pilot reported that the wind had "picked up to 20-25 mph" and that the flightpath was "nearly directly downwind at the time of impact." The pilot reported that the airplane was not equipped with a stall warning device.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.