Piper J2 accident near Lancaster, California, January 13, 1996
On January 13, 1996, a Piper J2, registered N17261, was destroyed in an accident near Lancaster, California (Private Airstrip 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
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering from crosswind to downwind after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1996
- Place
- Lancaster, California · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J2 · all J2s on the register
- Registration
- N17261 · registry record · serial 927
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing touch-and-go landings at a private dirt airstrip. A pilot witness observed the airplane turning from crosswind to downwind at what appeared to be a slow airspeed at an estimated altitude of 250 feet agl. The witness said the airplane appeared to stall, roll off on the left wing, and pitch down into the ground. Ground impact signatures indicated that the airplane rotated about 180 degrees after stalling. The weather was VFR with calm winds. No preimpact discrepancies were found during an examination of the aircraft and engine.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,105 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,623 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 1995; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-40-4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 1,800 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 150 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.