Piper PA-15 accident near Plainwell, Michigan, August 15, 2009
On August 15, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-15, registered N4380H, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Plainwell, Michigan (Plainwell Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of control on takeoff for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Plainwell, Michigan · Plainwell Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-15 · all PA-15s on the register
- Registration
- N4380H · registry record · serial 15-165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Steering unit › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,556 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 16, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,472 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2008
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 61D Plainwell MI at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 61D Plainwell MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 27, 2,650 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from AZO, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA548.