Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Bruce Meadows Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Stanley, Idaho 83728
Saturday, June 30, 2012 14:15 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Before taking off from the 5,000-foot turf-dirt airstrip located at an altitude of 6,370 feet mean sea level, the pilot checked his performance charts and calculated that the density altitude was about 9,200 feet; this was 3,200 feet above the 6,000-foot maximum altitude listed in the takeoff performance charts. He also noted that at the time of departure, the wind was from 30 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts to 20 knots, which was close to a nearly direct tailwind for the takeoff from runway 23. The pilot indicated that the airplane was within 86 pounds of its maximum gross takeoff weight. When the airplane was about three-quarters of the way down the runway during the takeoff roll and not yet airborne, the pilot was about to abort the takeoff, but a gust of wind lifted the airplane in the air. The pilot thought the airplane would remain airborne, but when he could not get the airplane to climb as expected, he attempted to locate an open field to land in. However, the airplane subsequently encountered a downdraft, collided with a stand of trees, and came to rest inverted about 1.64 nautical miles from the departure end of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and decision to takeoff at a density altitude outside of the airplane’s takeoff performance envelope, with a tailwind, and near the airplane’s maximum gross weight, which resulted in the airplane’s inability to climb and clear trees.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/30/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Stanley |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83728 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 442424N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1152106W |
| Event Location Airport | Bruce Meadows Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | U63 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6370 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1351 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 310 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MYL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5024 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 44 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31584 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 3 2013 11:09AM |
| User who most recently changed record | coln |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N773C |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA283 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | STINSON |
| Aircraft Model | 108 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 3 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 108-3773 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 17 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 34 |
| Airframe Hours | 1544 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Leslie B Gropp |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Boise |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83705 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Leslie B Gropp |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Boise |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83705 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | U63 |
| Departure City | Stanley |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MYL |
| Destination City | McCall |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 27 2013 12:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 110 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |