Piper PA 18 N3670P

Summary

On 19 April 2020 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA 18 registered N3670P was involved in an accident near Bowie, Texas, 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

19 April 2020 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bowie, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Private Field (n/a)

Coordinates

33.5167, -97.7731

Aircraft

Piper PA 18

Registration

N3670P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1955

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bowie → Bowie

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA150

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an uncontrolled turn and descent into terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was taking off on a 310° heading for a personal flight; gusting wind was from 270°. The pilot stated that during the initial climb, he observed a normal ascent rate, so he retracted the flaps. He added that "it felt like a gust [of wind] picked our left wing up," and in response he pushed the control stick to the left twice, but the airplane did not respond. The airplane continued to bank right and descend as the pilot attempted to bring the wings level. As the airplane approached the ground, the pilot pulled the throttle control to idle, then the airplane struck a metal building frame on the northeast side of the field. Postaccident examination of the airplane and flight control systems did not reveal any mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that that pilot did not maintain control of the airplane in gusting wind conditions, resulting in an uncontrolled turn and descent into terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.