# Accident 20180813024259A: Piper J3C-65, Friendswood, TX, August 13, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 13, 2018, 10:30 local time
- Place: Friendswood, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.5047° N, 95.1753° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5047&lon=-95.1753&mi=10
- Aircraft: N42218, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N42218) (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
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,406 total, 375 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN18TA330](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18TA330) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180813024259A

## Narrative

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

WHEN LANDING ON RUNWAY 11 AT AIRPORT POLYRANCH (7XSQ) ABOUT 1030 LOCAL CENTRAL TIME ON AUGUST 13, 2018.

AFTER LANDING, ON ROLL OUT PILOT UNABLE TO KEEP AIRCRAFT FROM VEERING OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT THEN HITTING A TREE. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT NO INJURY.  CAUSE OF ACCIDENT DUE TO TAIL WHEEL SYSTEM FAILURE AND PILOT  MISMANAGING TAIL WHEEL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED LOCKING PINS WORN BEYOND LIMITS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 CEN18TA330](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18TA330), Aug 13, 2018: Piper J3C (N42218), Friendswood, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to conduct a flight in an airplane that had a tailwheel with degraded locking pins, which allowed the tailwheel to unlock and swivel out of alignment and precluded the pilot from…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.