N82223

Substantial
Minor

Piper PA-18-150S/N: 18-7909071

Accident Details

Date
Monday, June 26, 2006
NTSB Number
CHI06CA172
Location
Minong, WI
Event ID
20060728X01045
Coordinates
46.103610, -91.903892
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
2
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

Restriction of the elevator control system due to the camera placed in the seat back pocket and the inadvertent stall/mush condition encountered during the go-around. The trees impacted after the stall were a contributing factor.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N82223
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
18-7909071
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1946
Model / ICAO
PA-18-150PA18
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
OWEN JESS W
Address
PO BOX 1158
Status
Deregistered
City
MISSOULA
State / Zip Code
MT 59803
Country
United States

Analysis

The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during a go-around. The pilot and passenger reported minor injuries. The pilot stated that he entered the traffic pattern at the intended destination. He noted that on final approach he applied full flaps and the approach appeared "OK." However, as the airplane crossed the runway threshold, the pilot thought that the airspeed was "a bit fast" and he elected to execute a go-around. He applied full throttle and raised the flaps one notch. He stated, "The stick felt jammed. I could not get the stick forward enough to lower the nose to accelerate." The airplane remained in a nose high climb attitude. The pilot stated that the airspeed decayed until he felt a pre-stall buffet. He noted, "I felt trees to my right . . . would be better than the highway to land on as we were stalling and were going to drop. We mushed into the trees and came down to [the] ground." The pilot reported that before the flight he had placed a digital camera in the front seat back pocket. He stated that the before takeoff flight control check was normal and that the initial takeoff on the accident flight was without incident. A post accident inspection revealed no anomalies with the flight control system. The inspection also revealed that forward travel of the rear seat control stick was restricted when it came in contact with an object the size of the digital camera placed in the seat back pocket.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI06CA172