About 12:30 EDT, two Piper Cubs in a flight of three crashed near Dawson. One passenger was killed, the two pilots and another passenger were seriously injured. At about 09:30, a flight of four Cubs left Lock Haven, Pa., where the pilots and passengers had been attending a Piper Cub fly-in. The four airplanes arrived at High Rock Airport in Dawson at about 11:20. One airplane remained at High Rock, and the other three were fueled with auto fuel. The airport owner briefed the pilots on the airport departure procedures, and the pilots elected to depart to the north. The first airplane to depart was a Cub powered by a 65 hp engine and carried only the pilot. The second airplane to depart, a Piper L-4H (J-3), was powered by a 65 hp engine and carried a pilot and passenger. The third Cub to depart was powered by an 85 hp engine and carried the pilot and a passenger. The pilot of first Cub reported that he departed to the north and made a left turn after he passed the departure end of the runway. The terrain to the west of the airport was higher and the first pilot (flying alone) reported that he was climbing better than the other two airplanes. He observed the second airplane operating just above the trees and then saw it strike trees before descending to the ground. The pilot of the second airplane said the airplane was performing well and had the right pitch attitude to climb, but it descended into the trees. The pilot of the third Cub called the first pilot to tell him of second planes crash. A few seconds later, the third Cub also crashed into the trees and caught on fire.
June 26, Dawson, Md. / Piper L-4H (J-3) Cub and Piper J-3 Cub
About 12:30 EDT, two Piper Cubs in a flight of three crashed near Dawson. One passenger was killed, the two pilots and another passenger were seriously injured. At about 09:30, a flight of four Cubs left Lock Haven, Pa., where the pilots and passengers had been attending a Piper Cub fly-in. The four airplanes arrived at High Rock Airport in Dawson at about 11:20. One airplane remained at High Rock, and the other three were fueled with auto fuel. The airport owner briefed the pilots on the airport departure procedures, and the pilots elected to depart to the north. The first airplane to depart was a Cub powered by a 65 hp engine and carried only the pilot. The second airplane to depart, a Pip...
Key Takeaways:
- Two Piper Cubs crashed near Dawson shortly after takeoff, resulting in one fatality and three serious injuries to the pilots and passengers.
- The aircraft were part of a three-plane flight departing High Rock Airport after refueling with auto fuel, with pilots briefed on departure procedures.
- The first plane departed safely, observing the second plane strike trees and descend, followed by the third plane crashing and catching fire moments later, despite pilots reporting normal aircraft performance.
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