# Accident 20070515008719A: Piper J3C65, Byron, GA, May 15, 2007

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 15, 2007, 09:40 local time
- Place: Byron, GA
- Airport: Smith Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.6036° N, 83.7569° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.6036&lon=-83.7569&mi=10
- Aircraft: N33116, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N33116) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- Reported engine: CONT A658
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,176 total, 100 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA07CA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07CA097) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070515008719A

## Narrative

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

(-23) WITH A QUARTERING LEFT TAILWIND PILOT INITIATED A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF. AS AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED IT DRIFTED OFF TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A FENCE JUST AS IT WAS BECOMING AIRBORNE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND MINOR INJURIES TO THE PILOT.                               (-23 AMENDMENT) AIRCRAFT N33116, A PIPER J3C-65, OPERATED BY THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED AND ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF FROM GE27. GE27 IS A PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPORT WITH ONE RUNWAY, 09/27, 2800' X 80' TURF WITH A WIND INDICATOR LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 27. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 09 AND ROLLED TO APPROXIMATELY 500' FROM THE FAR END OF RUNWAY 09 AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT TURNED AROUND AND ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 27. THE WIND INDICATOR SHOWED A SLIGHT QUARTERING TAILWIND FROM THE LEFT PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SOLO AND THEREFORE FLYING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE AFT SEAT POSITION AS IS REQUIRED PER AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS. A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF WAS ATTEMPTED WHICH REQUIRED THE AIRCRAFT TO REMAIN IN A THREE POINT POSITION WHICH WOULD RESTRICT THE FORWARD VIEW DURING THE TAKEOFF. CENTER RUNWAY POSITION IS MAINTAINED BY LOOKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRCRAFT. THIS PROCEDURE IS NORMALLY SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN POSITION IN THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN HIS POSITION IN THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY DURING TAKEOFF. HE ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT ON THE GROUND DURING TAKEOFF ROLL. ONCE THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BECAME AIRBORNE AND STILL IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WITH NO FORWARD VISIBILITY, THE WIND DRIFTED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT AND ALLOWED THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO IMPACT FENCE POSTS AND FENCING THAT WERE RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FAILED TO MAINTAIN SITUATION AWARENESS OF HIS CURRENT POSITION DURING THE TAKEOFF PROCEDURE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND MINOR INJURIES TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

## 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 MIA07CA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07CA097), May 15, 2007: Piper J3-C-65 (N33116), Byron, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff.

## Other reports on N33116 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19750816023229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19750816023229A), Aug 16, 1975: Piper J3C65 (N33116), Sedalia, MO, Substantial damage. Undetected cow ran into path of dept acft. Plt atmptd hi angle tkof to miss cow.

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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