20050623013999A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Yadkinville, NC · June 23, 2005

Date: June 23, 2005 · 15:30 local
Place: Yadkinville, NC
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6912H
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL05LA111
Reported as: Piper J3C65
Reported engine: Continental O200*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,000 total

N6912HRegistration cancelled Jun 27, 2012 · Piper J3C-65S/N 20144 · Built 1946 Airframe modelPiper J3C-65 Engine modelContinental A&C65 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) Aircraft dropped below tree line over open field adjacent to hwy 601, traveling south to north. At the end of the field, the aircraft turned south and headed for a track hoe that was working along side of the highway. Approximately halfway through the field the left wing contacted two power lines one at 28' and one at 24'. The operator then applied full power and pitched up dramatically, according to the witness. With the application of power, the increase in aft stick forces and the damage to the left wing and aileron, the aircraft then rolled inverted, came over the top and impacted the ground vertically.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DROPPED BELOW TREE LINE OVER OPEN FIELD ADJACENT TO HWY 601, TRAVELING SOUTH TO NORTH. AT THE END OF THE FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED SOUTH AND HEADED FOR A TRACK HOE THAT WAS WORKING ALONG SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY THROUGH THE FIELD THE LEFT WING CONTACTED TWO POWER LINES ONE AT 28' AND ONE AT 24'. THE OPERATOR THEN APPLIED FULL POWER AND PITCHED UP DRAMATICALLY, ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS. WITH THE APPLICATION OF POWER, THE INCREASE IN AFT STICK FORCES AND THE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND AILERON, THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED INVERTED, CAME OVER THE TOP AND IMPACTED THE GROUND VERTICALLY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL05LA111Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportYadkinville, NCThe pilots failure to maintain adequate clearance from object and inadequate visual look-out while maneuvering resulted in an in-flight collision with power lines.Jun 23, 2005 · Substantial damage