Piper PA24 accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, December 13, 2018
On December 13, 2018 at about 4:44 pm local time, a 1960 Piper PA24, registered N6785P, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Valparaiso, Indiana (Porter County Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall and spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2018 · about 4:44 pm local time
- Place
- Valparaiso, Indiana · Porter County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA24 250, built 1960 · all PA24s on the register
- Registration
- N6785P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1916
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing on a personal flight. Witness observations and surveillance video captured the airplane during the initial climb; the right wing dropped and then the airplane entered a right spin. A surveillance video from a camera mounted on a building near the accident captured the final portion of the accident sequence; the airplane completed one revolution in the spin before it impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude. Examination of the airplane, engine, and systems revealed no evidence of any preimpact anomalies. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall and spin.
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
- 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 › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 149.3 hours in all; 21.1 in this make and model; 27.3 in the last 90 days; 12.1 in the last 30 days; 74.3 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,065 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VPZ Valparaiso IN at 4:44 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from VPZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on May 20, 2020. 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 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Airplane Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather METAR Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Airplane Examination Summary | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N6785P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.