Piper PA18 N4056Z

Summary

On 4 November 2023 at about 19:20 local time, a Piper PA18 registered N4056Z, operated by G & L Airborne Inc, was involved in an accident near Tompkinsville, Kentucky, 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

4 November 2023 at 19:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Tompkinsville, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Tompkinsville/Monroe County (TZV)

Coordinates

36.7290, -85.6524

Aircraft

Piper PA18

Registration

N4056Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

G & L Airborne Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA035

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach, which resulted in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was practicing an emergency descent and landing when he deployed full wing flaps and descended to the touchdown point. About 10 to 15 ft above ground level, the airplane encountered a rapid sink rate that he failed to arrest. The airplane touched down hard, and the fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot stated that, upon reflection, if he had added the power and extended the airplane’s glide path, he might have been in a better position for landing; however, he allowed the airplane to get “too slow.” The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.