# Accident 20120317005479A: Piper J3C-65, Douglas, GA, March 17, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 17, 2012, 14:30 local time
- Place: Douglas, GA
- Airport: Douglas Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.4767° N, 82.8606° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DOUGLAS MUNI (DQH), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.4767&lon=-82.8606&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3255N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3255N) (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 J3C-65
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 20,000 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120317005479A

## Narrative

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

FROM 8020-9: "AIRCRAFT LANDED DOUGLAS GA (KDQH) AT APPROXIMATELY 15:30 LOCAL TIME.  EXPERIENCED A GROUND LOOP AND HIT A RUNWAY SIGN - 1 S.O.B. - NO INJURY - SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  WEATHER UNKNOWN"PILOT STATEMENT INDICATES HE LANDED PRECAUTIONARY TO AVOID WEATHER DEVELOPING IN THE WEST.  FOLLOWING A NORMAL APPROACH, EXPERIENCED A WIND GUST AT LANDING, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL, AND STRIKING A RUNWAY MARKER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. FROM FAA PHOTOS TAKEN OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PYHSICAL INSPECTION AIRCRAFT, THE LEFT WING STRUT SHOWED EVIDENCE OF IMPACTING THE SIGN, CAUSING FRACTURE OF  THE LEFT WING SPAR AT THE ROOT, AND DEFORMING THE STRUT, LEADING EDGE, FUSELAGE, AND AILERON.  NO PROPELLER CONTACT WAS MADE.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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