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19980626015109A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Redding, CA · June 26, 1998

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Date
June 26, 1998 · 13:50 local
Place
Redding, CA
Airport
Redding Municipal
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N30576
Reported as
Piper J3C65
Reported engine
Continental C9016F
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,500 total600 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N30576Registered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 4946 · Built 1940Airframe modelPiper J3C-65Engine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

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.

Turning off runway in gusty wind. J3 flipped over.(.4) on June 25, 1998, at 1350 hours pacific daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N30576, nosed over while taxing at the benton airport in Redding, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot suffered minor injuries, and the passenger received no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he completed a landing on runway 33 and was beginning a left turn to taxi back to the hangar. The aircraft was still on the runway centerline and was moving about 10 miles per hour. The pilot stated that the tail became light "due to excessive braking" and the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there are two windsocks on the field, and both were showing no wind at the time of the accident. The pilot further reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the aircraft prior to the accident. (-23) while turning off runway (following landing rollout) possible wind gust caused aircraft tail to lift and flip aircraft on back. Spoke with pilot over the phone, counselled via telephone. Pilot has plenty of taildragger experience.

As the FAA filed it

TURNING OFF RUNWAY IN GUSTY WIND. J3 FLIPPED OVER.(.4) ON JUNE 25, 1998, AT 1350 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J3C-65, N30576, NOSED OVER WHILE TAXING AT THE BENTON AIRPORT IN REDDING, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE COMPLETED A LANDING ON RUNWAY 33 AND WAS BEGINNING A LEFT TURN TO TAXI BACK TO THE HANGAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL ON THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND WAS MOVING ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAIL BECAME LIGHT "DUE TO EXCESSIVE BRAKING" AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE ARE TWO WINDSOCKS ON THE FIELD, AND BOTH WERE SHOWING NO WIND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (-23) WHILE TURNING OFF RUNWAY (FOLLOWING LANDING ROLLOUT) POSSIBLE WIND GUST CAUSED AIRCRAFT TAIL TO LIFT AND FLIP AIRCRAFT ON BACK. SPOKE WITH PILOT OVER THE PHONE, COUNSELLED VIA TELEPHONE. PILOT HAS PLENTY OF TAILDRAGGER EXPERIENCE.