# Incident 20121028024609I: Piper J3C-65, Wichita, KS, October 28, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 28, 2012, 15:00 local time
- Place: Wichita, KS
- Airport: Colonel James Jabara
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.7476° N, 97.2211° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at COLONEL JAMES JABARA (AAO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7476&lon=-97.2211&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9499H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9499H) (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 C85-12
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,865 total, 320 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121028024609I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS PROVIDING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT IN A CONVENTIONAL GEAR AIRCRAFT.  THIS FLIGHT WAS THE FIRST  INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FOR THE STUDENT IN THIS AIRCRAFT. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT DEPARTED THE HARD SURFACE RUNWAY AND PRACTICED INFLIGHT MANEUVERS OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT AREA BEFORE THE STUDENT PERFORMED TWO TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS ON A TURF RUNWAY.   UPON RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT (HARD SURFACE RUNWAY) THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT DEPARTING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT AN APPROXIMATE 80 DEGREES FROM THE LANDING DIRECTION.  AS THE TURN PROGRESSED THE RATE OF TURN INCREASED AND AT APPROXIMATELY 170 DEGREES FROM THE LANDING DIRECTION, THE DESCENDING PROPELLER BLADE STRUCK THE TOP OF A PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR (PAPI) LIGHT UNIT. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE CAUTIONED THE STUDENT THAT THE PAVED RUNWAY WAS MORE CHALLENGING THAN THE TURF AND REQUIRED MORE PRECISE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.  AS THE STUDENT FLARED THE INSTRUCTOR RECOGNIZED A SLIGHT DRIFT IN THE CALM TO LIGHT SOUTHEAST WIND, BUT CONSIDERED IT WITHIN REASONABLE TOLERANCES TO CORRECT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN.  UPON LANDING THE EMPENNAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO MOVE RIGHT AND THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE INDUCED GROUND LOOP.BOTH PROPELLER BLADES SHOW IMPACT DAMAGE WITH ONE GREATER THAN THE OTHER.  THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT SHOWS A SMALL AREA OF PAINT ABRASION OF THE TOP COAT AND A MINOR DENT APPROXIMATELY ONE SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH DEEP.  THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT REAR VALVE COVER STRUCK THE SAME UNIT BENDING THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE COVER AND CREATING AN OIL LEAK.  THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT TIRE OUTBOARD SIDEWALL, SHOWED SIGNS OF SCUFFING THE PAPI LIGHT UNIT'S CONCRETE BASE. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVING 2 TO 3 MILES PER HOUR WHEN IT STRUCK THE PAPI UNIT.  THE ENGINE WAS AT IDLE AT IMPACT AND STOPPED WHEN THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE PAPI UNIT.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO EITHER OF THE PILOTS.

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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