Napavine, WA, USA
N9268D
PIPER PA-18-150
Soon after liftoff, the pilot made a steeply-banked right turn of more than 90 degrees in order to make a low pass by the house of a friend. As he flew by the friend's house, with the airplane still in a steep right bank, the airplane's right wing tip clipped a greenhouse/potting shed in the neighbor's yard. After contacting the shed, the airplane continued on for about 150 feet before impacting the corner of a hangar owned by the pilot. According to a witness in the yard where the shed was located, the airplane's engine sounded like it was running smooth and strong, and it appeared that the pilot was in control up until the time the airplane clipped the shed. There was no evidence of any pre-impact malfunction of the airplane's engine, flight controls, or airframe.
On September 14, 2008, about 1645 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N9268D, impacted a hangar adjacent to a private airstrip about two miles northeast of Napavine, Washington. The airline transport pilot, who was the sole occupant, received serious injuries, and the airplane, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal pleasure flight had taken off less than 30 seconds prior to the accident. The takeoff was made in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. According to witnesses, soon after liftoff, the pilot made a steeply-banked right turn of more than 90 degrees in order to make a low pass by the house of a friend. As he flew by the friend's house, with the airplane still in a steep right bank, the airplane's right wing tip clipped a greenhouse/potting shed in the neighbor's yard. After contacting the shed, the airplane continued on for about 150 feet before impacting the corner of a hangar owned by the pilot. According to a witness in the yard where the shed was located, the airplane's engine sounded like it was running smooth and strong, and it appeared that the pilot was in control up until the time the airplane clipped the shed. Other individuals who lived in the area stated that the pilot had made low-altitude passes near their home or hangar in the past. A Federal Aviation Airworthiness Inspector who responded to the scene reported that there was no evidence of any pre-impact malfunction of the airplane's engine, flight controls, or airframe. As of the date of this report, the pilot was still hospitalized and unable to submit an NTSB Form 6120.1. He reportedly still does not have a clear recollection of the sequence of events that led to the accident.
The pilot's decision to make a low-altitude pass, and his failure to maintain clearance from all structures while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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