Amateur-built SUPERIOR CUB accident near Beechgrove, Indiana, October 27, 2012
On October 27, 2012 at about 5:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SUPERIOR CUB, registered N97RP, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Beechgrove, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during takeoff from a short field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2012 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Beechgrove, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SUPERIOR CUB
- Registration
- N97RP · registry record · serial PR-18-1
- 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 planned to depart from a short grass field. To obtain more clearance from the trees at the end of the 700-foot strip, the pilot planned to turn just after takeoff. The pilot added that there was about a 10- to 20-degree right crosswind. During the takeoff, the airplane turned into the wind and the pilot was unable to correct that turn. The pilot attempted to climb through a small gap in the tree line; however, the airplane’s right wing collided with a tree and the airplane subsequently impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
- Low altitude operation/event during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 295 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 490 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 78I Eminence IN at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Beechgrove IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from kind, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N97RP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN13CA033.