Piper PA 18 accident near Greenville, Michigan, September 11, 2016
On September 11, 2016 at about 7:58 pm local time, a 1959 Piper PA 18, registered N3286Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Greenville, Michigan (Greenville Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's premature turn during the takeoff climb and subsequent turn to avoid trees, which resulted in his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2016 · about 7:58 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Michigan · Greenville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18 95, built 1959 · all PA 18s on the register
- Registration
- N3286Z · no longer on the register · serial 18-7208
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, during the takeoff climb for the personal cross-country flight, he turned the airplane too early and at too low of an altitude to clear the trees ahead. The pilot then turned the airplane to avoid the trees, and it stalled. As he continued to try to maneuver the airplane away from the trees, the airplane entered a secondary stall, descended, and impacted terrain in a vertical attitude. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane, engine, or related systems 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 361.8 hours in all; 226.8 in this make and model; 31.2 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 11, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,015.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,499 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C90-12F (piston); 1,015 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6D6 Greenville MI at 7:58 pm
- Destination: JYM Hillsdale MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,199 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KY70, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 1, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Record of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.