Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

New Prague, Minnesota 56071
Saturday, August 12, 1995 14:45 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT OF THE FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE AS HE APPROACHED CEDAR LAKE FOR LANDING AND ESTIMATED THAT THE SURFACE WIND WAS SOUTHERLY AT 20 - 25 KNOTS. ON FINAL APPROACH NORTH OF THE LAKE AT AN AIRSPEED 'ADEQUATE' FOR A FLOATPLANE LANDING THE RIGHT WING DROPPED ABRUPTLY TO NEARLY A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE PILOT LEVELED THE WINGS BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL ABRUPTLY INTO A LEFT BANK UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED. HE WAS AGAIN ABLE TO LEVEL THE WINGS HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT FLEW THROUGH AN AREA OF TREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND, ON SHORE, IN A WINGS LEVEL, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed to permit control of the aircraft and to prevent an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors include gusty wind conditions and turbulence.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/12/1995
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1445
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City NEW PRAGUE
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 56071
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1435 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 72
Weather Observation Facility ID Y12
Elevation of weather observation facility 960
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 30
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 26
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 16
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 723
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 15 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 940
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:29PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N70369
NTSB Number CHI95LA277
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model J3C-65
Aircraft Series Identifier J3C-65
Aircraft Serial Number 17353
Certified Max Gross Weight 1220
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 20
Airframe Hours 1400
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KENNARD C. KAPLAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1150 ROSE ST.
Aircraft Owner City OWATONNA
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55060
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code N/A
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code N/A
Departure City ELYSIAN
Departure State MN
Departure Country
Departure Time 1400
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code N/A
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --