# Incident 19970407009319I: Piper J3F65, Columbus, NE, April 7, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 7, 1997, 16:30 local time
- Place: Columbus, NE
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.4371° N, 97.3586° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Columbus, NE, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4371&lon=-97.3586&mi=10
- Aircraft: N32946, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N32946) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3F-65 (registry code 7100536, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3f-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Franklin 4AC176B series (registry code 27006, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-4ac176b-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3F65
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970407009319I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: THE OWNER/PILOT STATED HE WAS ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT. HE SAID HE LANDED IN A FARM FIELD AT A FARM RESIDENCE TO VISIT A FRIEND. HE HAD LANDED AT THIS FIELD ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. AS THE PILOT TAXIED FROM THE FIELD TO THE BUILDINGS, THE AIRPLANE WAS HIT BY WHAT THE PILOT DESCRIBED AS A WHIRLWIND OR DUST DEVIL. HE SAID THE LEFT WING CAME UP. HE ADDED POWER AND LEFT RUDDER TO STRAIGHTEN THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS NOW HEADED TOWARD AN IRRIGATION PUMP. SINCE HE WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE PUMP, THE PILOT TRIED TO JUMP THE AIRPLANE OVER THE PUMP. HE SAID THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR HIT THE DISCHARGE HEAD OF THE PUMP. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS BROKEN. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, LEFT WING TIP, AND PROPELLER. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.

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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