Piper PA-18A N3352B accident near Wood Lake, Nebraska

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and passenger departed on the flight to conduct an aerial view of the surrounding area. According to the passenger, shortly after taking off of the grass field runway, and approximately 50 feet in the air, the airplane turned sharply to the right and dove to the ground. The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude. There were no reported ground witnesses to the accident and the pilot has no memory of the crash. The passenger, who had only flown in a small airplane once before, reported that the lift-off appeared "smooth" and that he didn't hear any changes in the engine sound or an "[engine] cough." An examination of the airplane failed to identify any preimpact abnormalities with the engine or airframe.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN09LA190 for the full record.