20000331042909A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Eureka, SD · March 31, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: March 31, 2000 · 08:45 local
Place: Eureka, SD
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N71060
Reported as: Piper J3C65
Reported engine: Continental O200A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,020 total1,020 in this make and model192 in the last 90 days

N71060Registered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 18082 · Built 1946 Airframe modelPiper J3C-65 Engine modelContinental 0-200 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.

(-23) Pilot michael harmon and his passenger privacy data omitted were hunting coyotes near Eureka, SD. After the first pass on a coyote a shotgun shell became lodged in the elevator control. On the second pass, the pilot was unable to control the elevator. The aircraft impacted the ground, left wing down. The impact broke off the left main landing gear, damaged the left wing spar and twisted the fuselage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT MICHAEL HARMON AND HIS PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DAT^ WERE HUNTING COYOTES NEAR EUREKA, SD. AFTER THE FIRST PASS ON A COYOTE A SHOTGUN SHELL BECAME LODGED IN THE ELEVATOR CONTROL. ON THE SECOND PASS, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE ELEVATOR. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, LEFT WING DOWN. THE IMPACT BROKE OFF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, DAMAGED THE LEFT WING SPAR AND TWISTED THE FUSELAGE.