What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 2015, the pilot-in-command of N98656 a Piper J-3 cub, purchased the aircraft in park rapids (kpkd), Minnesota. The PIC, a certificated sport pilot, departed monroe municipal airport (keft), in Wisconsin enroute to Dekalb Airport (kdkb), in Illinois for a fuel stop. The PIC received a weather briefing via duats on his ipad.
Upon arriving at kdkb, the pilot taxied off the runway and was proceeding to the fuel pumps. The PIC stated that he was s-taxiing the aircraft to be able to see the aircraft in front of him since he was sitting in the back seat of the tail dragger aircraft. When entering the ramp area, the PIC noticed that there were some aircraft parked on the ramp. The winds were striking the vertical stabilizer making the aircraft more difficult to control and the pics attention was needed to control the aircraft. The PIC decided to approach the fuel pumps at a thirty degree angle and left the designated taxi markings. Not seeing N4678A, a bonanza parked on the ramp. The PIC of the J-3 cub impacted the bonanza with his propeller and cowling causing damage to the right wing of the bonanza. The right wing lift strut contacted the right wing of the bonanza. The PIC of the J-3 cub was already preparing to shut the aircraft's engine down and had the throttle reduced to slightly above idle and had shut the magnetos off on the cub. The power to the engine was enough to cause the propeller to break when it impacted the parked aircraft.
No injuries or fire occurred as a result of the accident. N98656 incurred substantial damage to the right wing and aircraft fuselage. The aircraft was transported on a truck to the owners home in Ohio.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 2015, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF N98656 A PIPER J-3 CUB, PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT IN PARK RAPIDS (KPKD), MINNESOTA. THE PIC, A CERTIFICATED SPORT PILOT, DEPARTED MONROE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KEFT), IN WISCONSIN ENROUTE TO DEKALB AIRPORT (KDKB), IN ILLINOIS FOR A FUEL STOP. THE PIC RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING VIA DUATS ON HIS IPAD.
UPON ARRIVING AT KDKB, THE PILOT TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY AND WAS PROCEEDING TO THE FUEL PUMPS. THE PIC STATED THAT HE WAS S-TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF HIM SINCE HE WAS SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE TAIL DRAGGER AIRCRAFT. WHEN ENTERING THE RAMP AREA, THE PIC NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SOME AIRCRAFT PARKED ON THE RAMP. THE WINDS WERE STRIKING THE VERTICAL STABILIZER MAKING THE AIRCRAFT MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND THE PICS ATTENTION WAS NEEDED TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC DECIDED TO APPROACH THE FUEL PUMPS AT A THIRTY DEGREE ANGLE AND LEFT THE DESIGNATED TAXI MARKINGS. NOT SEEING N4678A, A BONANZA PARKED ON THE RAMP. THE PIC OF THE J-3 CUB IMPACTED THE BONANZA WITH HIS PROPELLER AND COWLING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING OF THE BONANZA. THE RIGHT WING LIFT STRUT CONTACTED THE RIGHT WING OF THE BONANZA. THE PIC OF THE J-3 CUB WAS ALREADY PREPARING TO SHUT THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE DOWN AND HAD THE THROTTLE REDUCED TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE IDLE AND HAD SHUT THE MAGNETOS OFF ON THE CUB. THE POWER TO THE ENGINE WAS ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE PROPELLER TO BREAK WHEN IT IMPACTED THE PARKED AIRCRAFT.
NO INJURIES OR FIRE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. N98656 INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED ON A TRUCK TO THE OWNERS HOME IN OHIO.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.