# Incident 20140422005879I: Piper J3C-65, Titusville, FL, April 22, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 22, 2014, 11:30 local time
- Place: Titusville, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.5729° N, 80.8204° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Titusville, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.5729&lon=-80.8204&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3558N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3558N) (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, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 28,285 total, 306 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140422005879I

## Narrative

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

ON TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2014 AT 1300 EDT A CALL WAS RECEIVED AT THE ORLANDO FSDO FROM MICHAEL CAM (321) 305-3002 ADVISING INSPECTOR RICHARD SCHEIBEL THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD STRUCK AN AIRPORT SIGN ON LANDING AT AUTHUR DUNN AIRPARK (X21).

INSPECTORS JAMES STENHOUSE AND DAVID GREEN WERE DISPATCHED FROM THE FSDO TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE AIRMAN WAS INTERVIEWED AND THE SCENE DOCUMENTED. THE AIRMAN?S ACCOUNT IS AS FOLLOWS:

?I DEPARTED X21 AT 1130 EDT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE HANGER AND PREFLIGHTED. A HANDHELD RADIO WAS BORROWED AND A FRIEND HELPED ?HAND-PROP? THE AIRCRAFT. I LEFT THE TRAFFIC PATTERN DUE TO JUMP ACTIVITY AND FLEW TO THE NORTHEAST. UPON RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WINDS WERE OBSERVED TO BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AND I LAST FLEW ABOUT 45 DAYS AGO.

ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 4, I WAS LITTLE FAST AND ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND. DURING THIS MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE EAST AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY 4/22 SIGN. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED OVER AND STRUCK THE GROUND, SLID ACROSS RUNWAY 33/15 AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF RUNWAY 33/15.?

09/02/2014 - REPORT AMMENDED UPON INSECTION OF AIRCRAFT BY FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR. DAMAGE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY ACCIDENT CLASSIFICATION. REPORT CHANGED TO AN INCIDENT.

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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