No fatalities

Off-Field Landing After Touch-and-Go Maneuvers

Bisbee, AZ, United States

On April 8, 2008, a Piper J3C-65 operated by Donovan O Laeding was involved in an aviation accident near Bisbee, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to obtain/maintain sufficient airspeed after takeoff, which resulted in a stall/mush condition. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft landed off-field after a series of touch-and-go landings, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing tip from a tree impact during the landing roll.

Incident Overview and Pilot Report According to the pilot's account, the incident occurred after the aircraft had completed five or six touch-and-go landings. The pilot stated that the aircraft was approximately 50 feet above ground level following takeoff when it began to sink. The pilot reported that the aircraft subsequently landed off-field in a straight path ahead, striking some brush during the process. The pilot noted that calm winds were present at the time of the accident. ## Damage Assessment The investigation noted that the aircraft's right wing tip sustained substantial damage. This damage was attributed to the aircraft impacting a tree during the landing roll. The source does not provide specific details regarding the aircraft type, registration, operator, or exact location of the incident.

Contributing factors

Causes

Airspeed — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Tree(s)