Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Plainwell Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Plainwell, Michigan 49080
Saturday, August 15, 2009 14:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that he began the takeoff roll in the tailwheel-equipped airplane with a left quartering headwind. He stated that during the takeoff roll a wind gust caused the airplane to swerve. He attempted to abort the takeoff and the airplane ground-looped. During the event, the right main landing gear collapsed and the wing tip struck the runway, damaging the wing structure. A weather reporting station located 18 nautical miles south of the accident site recorded the wind 7 minutes before the accident as being from 190 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 18 knots. Fifty-three minutes after the accident time the same weather station recorded the wind speed as 7 knots gusting to 14 knots and direction as variable between 130 degrees and 200 degrees. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed a failure of the left steering spring chain link. It could not be determined if the chain link failure occurred prior to or during the accident sequence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of control on takeoff for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/15/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Plainwell |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49080 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 422804n |
| Event Location Longitude | 0853853w |
| Event Location Airport | Plainwell Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 61D |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 722 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AZO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 874 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 14 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KAZO 151053Z 00000KT 4SM BR CLR 17/16 A3014 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26120 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Eric Schlanser (pilot) |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 28 2009 3:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dinc |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4380H |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA548 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-15 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15-165 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 10 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1472 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCHLANSER ERIC C |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 45 N SHORE DR N |
| Aircraft Owner City | SOUTH HAVEN |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49090-9169 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | SCHLANSER ERIC C |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 45 N SHORE DR N |
| Operator City | SOUTH HAVEN |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 49090-9169 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | 61D |
| Departure City | Plainwell |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 61D |
| Destination City | Plainwell |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 18 2009 3:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | brajo |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 2650 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |