Piper J3C N24918 accident near Paso Robles, California

Probable cause

The pilot's steep right turn shortly after takeoff, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

Witnesses observed the airplane lift off and, about midfield, start a right turn. The bank angle continued to steepen until the wings were vertical to the ground. The airplane appeared to be moving very slowly; the nose then lowered directly toward the ground. It is likely that during this steep turn, the airplane exceeded its critical angle-of-attack and stalled. The airplane came to rest about 500 feet abeam the midpoint of the runway, and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A caretaker at the pilot's ranch reported that he had observed numerous takeoffs and had never seen the pilot make a midfield turn. The pilot normally turned left or right at the departure end of the runway.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR14FA234 for the full record.