19960407006229A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Midlothian, TX · April 7, 1996

Date: April 7, 1996 · 20:25 local
Place: Midlothian, TX
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7440H
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW96LA163
Reported as: Piper J3C65
Fatal injuries: 0

N7440HRegistered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 20707 · Built 1946 Airframe modelPiper J3C-65 Engine modelContinental A75-8Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft making low pass over airport to drop candy when it hooked its left wheel on power line and crashed. (-23) pilot was flying J3 cub and carrying easter bunny. They had been dropping candy from the window. He made a second approach to drop the remainder of the candy and to land from this same approach. He stated that as he made a left base to final his left main gear hit the power line. The aircraft descended to a hard landing damaging the prop and landing gear. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT MAKING LOW PASS OVER AIRPORT TO DROP CANDY WHEN IT HOOKED ITS LEFT WHEEL ON POWER LINE AND CRASHED. (-23) PILOT WAS FLYING J3 CUB AND CARRYING EASTER BUNNY. THEY HAD BEEN DROPPING CANDY FROM THE WINDOW. HE MADE A SECOND APPROACH TO DROP THE REMAINDER OF THE CANDY AND TO LAND FROM THIS SAME APPROACH. HE STATED THAT AS HE MADE A LEFT BASE TO FINAL HIS LEFT MAIN GEAR HIT THE POWER LINE. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO A HARD LANDING DAMAGING THE PROP AND LANDING GEAR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW96LA163Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMidlothain, TXthe pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance.Apr 7, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7440H · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19860702059729IFinal Approach · Kidron, OHStruck powerlines on final. Abandoned approach and departed area with damaged wingtip.Jul 2, 1986 · Minor damage