# Accident 20000427005189A: Piper J3C65, Healdsburg, CA, April 27, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 27, 2000, 12:50 local time - Place: Healdsburg, CA - Airport: Healdsburg Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.6295° N, 122.8894° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6295&lon=-122.8894&mi=10 - Aircraft: N146TM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N146TM) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental A&C75 series (registry code 17005, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c75-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65 - Reported engine: CONT A758 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 7,000 total, 10 in this make and model, 104 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA174) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000427005189A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON 4/27/2000 AT APPROX. 1230 LOCAL TIME, THOMAS NOONAN AND MARK HARLIN ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 31 AT THE HEALDSBURG AIRPORT (O31). BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT THEY EXPERIENCED HIGHER VELOCITY WINDS, STRONGER GUSTS, DOWN DRAFTS, AND WINDDHEAR AFTER LIFT OFF, THEN ONTHE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE WINDS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY APPROX. 30 YARDS, AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SEVERE WIND SHEAR RESULTING IN A STALL WHICH OCCURRED LOW TO THE GROUND, RESULTED IN A GROUND LOOP, AND CAUSED SUBSTANIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. (.4)ON APRIL 27, 2000, AT 1250 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J3C-65, N146TM, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN ON THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB FROM RUNWAY 31 AT THE HEALDSBURG MUNI AIRPORT, HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY THE OWNER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE FLIGHT REVIEW (FR), AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT. THE CFI STATED THAT THE AIRPORT IS SITUATE D ON A PLATEAU SURROUNDED BY VINEYARDS. AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY IS A WINDSOCK THAT IS ATTACHED TO A 30-FOOT STEEL POLE. THE PILOT STATED THAT A 6-KNOT, 90-DEGREE CROSSWIND PREVAILED DURING TAKEOFF. AFTER TAKEOFF, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 25-30 FEET, THE AIRPLANE WAS PUSHED BY A GUST OF WIND FROM THE LEFT. HE NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING AT FULL POWER, BUT DID NOT RESPOND TO CONTROL INPUTS TO RETURN BACK TO RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, OR TO CLIMB. AT THAT POINT THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO SINK. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT A WINDSOCK MOUNTED ON A STEEL POLE APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET HIGH WAS IN THEIR FLIGHT PATH. THE CFI RAISED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE WINDSOCK AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. THE CFI REPORTED THAT THE SURFACE CONDITIONS DID NOT APPEAR TO BE GUSTY BUT THE WINDS WERE AT 6 KNOTS, AND ORIENTED ABOUT 80 DEGREES FROM THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES EXPERIENCED ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL. ON THE INITIAL CLIMB OUT THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, AND DID NOT GAIN ALTITUDE. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE FROM THE PILOT AS IT STARTED TO DRIFT TOWARDS THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. HE NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING, AND THE AIRSPEED WAS LOW. TO PREVENT A STALL HE ELECTED TO KEEP THE THROTTLE IN THE OPEN POSITION AND MAINTAIN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, WHILE KEEPING THE DESCENT RATE AT A MINIMUM. HE NOTED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS IN THEIR FLIGHT PATH AND THEY WERE STILL NOT ABLE TO CLIMB. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE WINDSOCK HE RAISED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE AND IMPACTED A GRASSY AREA APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY EDGE AND 20 FEET BELOW THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. ## 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 LAX00LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA174), Apr 27, 2000: Piper J3C-65 (N146TM), Healdsburg, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of the flight review pilot to compensate for the crosswind and maintain flying speed during takeoff. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.