14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 02, 2012 in McNeal, AZ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/09/2012
Aircraft: PIPER PA18, registration: N2364P
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot was taking a passenger on a tour of the local area. The pilot had previously conducted such flights, and he had a normal route that he followed. However, on this occasion, he deviated from that route to "do something a little different" and turned up a canyon that he normally did not fly into. He noticed that the terrain was rising and attempted to climb to clear it. Shortly thereafter, he noticed that the airplane was not going to clear the terrain. He realized that there was insufficient room to execute a course reversal to exit the area and decided to land straight ahead on the rising, vegetation-covered, desert terrain. Immediately after touchdown, the airplane rotated sharply to the right and stopped. The outboard section of the right wing was bent and crumpled. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems or failures of the airplane or engine before the accident. The automated weather observation at an airport located 8 miles south of the accident site, at an elevation of 4,150 feet above mean sea level (msl), reported winds from 280 degrees at 3 knots, clear skies, and a temperature of 26 degrees C. The accident site elevation was about 5,400 feet msl, and the estimated density altitude was about 7,600 feet.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's in-flight decision to fly at low level into an unfamiliar canyon, which resulted in an off-airport landing when the airplane's climb capability was exceeded. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s decreased performance due to the high density altitude.
The pilot co-owned the airplane with two other individuals, and the three were business partners in a flight school that specialized in training missionaries for bush pilot operations. The pilot was also a flight instructor for the school, and the airplane was one of the school fleet airplanes. The accident flight was a personal flight to provide the passenger, who was a relative of a colleague, with a tour of the local area. The pilot had previously conducted such flights, and he had a normal route that he followed. However, on this occasion, he deviated from that route to "do something a little different," and turned up a canyon that he normally did not fly into. He noticed the terrain was rising, and attempted to climb to clear it. Shortly thereafter, he noticed that the airplane was not going to clear the terrain. He realized that there was insufficient room to execute a course reversal to exit the area, and decided to land straight ahead on the rising, vegetation-covered desert terrain. Immediately after touchdown, the airplane rotated sharply around to the right and stopped. The passenger sustained minor injuries, while the pilot incurred a skull fracture. The outboard section of the right wing was bent and crumpled. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems or failures of the airplane or engine prior to the accident. The automated weather observation at an airport located 8 miles south of the accident site, at an elevation of 4,150 feet above mean sea level (msl), reported winds from 280 degrees at 3 knots; clear skies; and a temperature of 26 degrees C. The accident site elevation was about 5,400 feet msl, with an estimated density altitude of about 7,600 feet.
NTSB Identification: WPR12CA342
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 02, 2012 in McNeal, AZ
Aircraft: PIPER PA18, registration: N2364P
Injuries: 1 Serious,1 Minor.
The pilot co-owned the airplane with two other individuals, and the three were business partners in a flight school that specialized in training missionaries for bush pilot operations. The pilot was also a flight instructor for the school, and the airplane was one of the school fleet airplanes. The accident flight was a personal flight to provide the passenger, who was a relative of a colleague, with a tour of the local area. The pilot had previously conducted such flights, and he had a normal route that he followed. However, on this occasion, he deviated from that route to "do something a little different," and turned up a canyon that he normally did not fly into. He noticed the terrain was rising, and attempted to climb to clear it. Shortly thereafter, he noticed that the airplane was not going to clear the terrain. He realized that there was insufficient room to execute a course reversal to exit the area, and decided to land straight ahead on the rising, vegetation-covered desert terrain. Immediately after touchdown, the airplane rotated sharply around to the right and stopped. The passenger sustained minor injuries, while the pilot incurred a skull fracture. The outboard section of the right wing was bent and crumpled. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems or failures of the airplane or engine prior to the accident. The automated weather observation at an airport located 8 miles south of the accident site, at an elevation of 4,150 feet above mean sea level (msl), reported winds from 280 degrees at 3 knots; clear skies; and a temperature of 26 degrees C. The accident site elevation was about 5,400 feet msl, with an estimated density altitude of about 7,600 feet.
SIERRA VISTA — Two occupants of a single-engine personal airplane are safe after being forced to land in the mountains east of McNeal this morning, the sheriff’s office has announced.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was advised of a crash landing in the Swisshelm Mountains at 9:23 a.m. Personnel from the Tribal Air Airport in McNeal informed the sheriff’s office that the Piper Super Cub had taken off from the airport earlier this morning, at about 7: 30 a.m.
The 55-year-old pilot and his teenage male passenger were about seven miles out of the airport and over the Swisshelm Mountains when a down draft forced the pilot to make an emergency landing, according to the sheriff’s office.
The pilot reported sustaining minor injuries and the passenger was uninjured. The pilot contacted Tribal Air Airport about the incident and informed staff there that he and the teen were going to walk to the nearest roadway to be picked up by airport personnel.
The Federal Aviation Administration will be notified of the accident, said Carol Capas, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
The pilot was scheduled to meet with a doctor today for a possible injury to his eye sustained in the emergency landing, Capas said.
McNEAL, Ariz. — A pilot suffered minor injuries after his small plane was forced to land in the Swisshelm mountains in eastern Cochise County.
County sheriff’s officials say the single-engine Piper Super Cub encountered a downdraft over the mountain range and the 55-year-old pilot made a forced landing about 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
The pilot resides in the small town of McNeal and his passenger was a teenage boy who escaped injury.
After the pilot contacted Tribal Air Airport in McNeal about the incident, he and the boy walked out to the nearest roadway to be picked up by airport personnel.
The plane had taken off from the airport about two hours earlier.
The names of the pilot and boy haven’t been released. The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the incident.
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