# Accident 19981227044281A: Piper J3C65, Las Vegas, NV, December 27, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 27, 1998, 16:30 local time
- Place: Las Vegas, NV
- Airport: North Las Vegas Air Terminal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Collision: Midair collision, first aircraft
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.2401° N, 115.2295° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2401&lon=-115.2295&mi=10
- Aircraft: N87714, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N87714) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- Reported engine: CONT C7512F
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,767 total, 109 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA059) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981227044281A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON DECEMBER 27, 1998, ABOUT 1630 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER J3C-65, N87714, COLLIDED WITH THE ELEVATOR AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF A CESSNA TR182, N882WS, IN THE RUN-UP AREA OF THE NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AIRPORT. THE PIPER J3-C65 SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE CESSNA TR182 INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  THE PRIVATE PILOTS, THE SOLE OCCUPANTS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AIRCRAFT, WERE NOT INJURED.  THE PIPER J3 WAS TAXIING INTO THE RUN-UP AREA AND THE CESSNA TR182 WAS STATIONARY CONDUCTING PRETAKEOFF CHECKS.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. (.4) THE CESSNA TR182 HAD BEEN IN THE RUN-UP AREA APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES CONDUCTING PRETAKEOFF CHECKS.  IT WAS ON AN EASTERLY HEADING ON THE FIRST RUN-UP MARKER.  THE PILOT OF THE PIPER J3, WHO WAS IN THE REAR SEAT, WAS GOING TO CONDUCT A RUN-UP PRIOR TO TAKING THE AIRCRAFT IN FOR ANNUAL INSPECTION.  AS HE WAS TAXIING NORTH TO THE RUN-UP AREA, HE HAD AIRCRAFT PARKED ON HIS LEFT SIDE, A CHEROKEE APPROACHING FROM THE 1 O'CLOCK POSITION, AND A TWIN OTTER APPROACHING FROM THE 4 O'CLOCK POSITION.  AS HE NEARED THE SPOT WHERE HE PLANNED TO CONDUCT HIS RUN-UP HE SAW THE CESSNA.  HE SHUT DOWN HIS ENGINE AND APPLIED THE BRAKE S BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP BEFORE HITTING THE CESSNA. HIS RIGHT WING SCRAPED THE BOTTOM OF THE CESSNA WING.  HIS PROPELLER STRUCK ITS RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  THE PIPER SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO ITS PROPELLER.  THE PIPER PILOT STATED HE HAD THOROUGHLY SCANNED THE RUN-UP AREA AND DID NOT SEE THE CESSNA.  HE FELT IT HAD EITHER BLENDED IN WITH THE BACKGROUND OR WAS IN A BLIND SPOT.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N882WS, Cessna TR182: [Accident 19981227044282A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981227044282A)

## 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 LAX99LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA059), Dec 28, 1998: Piper J3C-65 (N87714), North Las Vegas, NV, minor damage. Probable cause: Failure of the pilot-in-command of the other aircraft to see and avoid the stationary Cessna TR182.

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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