# Accident 19970330012819A: Piper J3C65, Soldotna, AK, March 30, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 30, 1997, 14:15 local time
- Place: Soldotna, AK
- Airport: Soldotna
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 60.3209° N, 150.7896° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.3209&lon=-150.7896&mi=10
- Aircraft: N920NB (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- Reported engine: CONT A658
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 240 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC97LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970330012819A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LANDING IN GUSTY WIND. LANDED HARD. BOUNCED. FOLDED RIGHT MAIN GEAR. WING HIT RUNWAY. DAMAGED SPAR.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC97LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA070), Mar 30, 1997: Piper J-3 (N920NB), Soldotna, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusty wind conditions, and his improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor associated with the accident was the gusty wind.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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