Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Stugartt, Arkansas 72073
Sunday, June 11, 2006 19:35 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The 256-hour private pilot and a passenger were departing a private 1,200-foot-long grass airstrip in a two-seat, single-engine airplane when it collided with 10-to14- foot-tall brush. It then flew across a 14-foot-wide drainage ditch located beyond the departure end of the runway before it landed in an open field and nosed over. Examination of the vintage airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the throttle was in the "idle" position and both propeller blades were bent aft. The outside air temperature at the time of the accident was 90 degrees Fahrenheit and both occupants weighed in excess of 200 pounds. The aircraft manufacturer did not publish takeoff performance data for this airplane, which was manufactured in 1947. The investigator in charge calculated the density altitude near the time of the accident at 2,296 feet.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from high brush during takeoff. Contributing factors were the short runway and the high density altitude.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/11/2006
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1935
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Stugartt
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72073
Event Date Year 2006
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 342632N
Event Location Longitude 0914033W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport --
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1935 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID SGT
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 32
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.81
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
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) 23239
NTSB Notification Source LIT FSDO
NTSB Notification Date Jun 12 2006 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Mar 31 2008 11:52AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\johb
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Little Rock FAA/FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3542N
NTSB Number DFW06LA159
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model J3C-65
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 22777
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Daniel Brown
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Pine Bluff
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Humphrey
Operator State AR
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 72073
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code NONE
Departure City Stugartt
Departure State AR
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff - roll/run
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 7 2008 10:44AM
User who most recently changed record BOWL
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length 1200
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --