20201103021962A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Weslaco, TX · November 3, 2020

Date: November 3, 2020 · 17:54 local
Place: Weslaco, TX
Airport: Mid Valley Airport
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision: Midair collision
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6463H
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN21LA040
Reported as: Piper J3C-65
Reported engine: Continental A&C65 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N6463HRegistered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 19641 · Built 1946 Airframe modelPiper J3C-65 Engine modelContinental A&C65 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

After turning from base leg to the final approach he realized that his airplane was too close to the airplane ahead of him in the traffic pattern. The pilot decided to go-around and side-step to the right of runway 14 to ensure separation from the other airplane that had landed. The pilot reported that he maintained visual contact with

The other airplane, keeping it at his 9-10 0?clock position and slightly below his position as he continued his go-around. The pilot stated that shortly after he shifted his gaze to the right side of his airplane, to assess if there were any additional impediments to his flight path, the other airplane ?made an apparent right turn? And collided with his airplane. The pilot was unable to maintain control of his airplane and it descended to the ground intermingled with the other

Airplane.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER TURNING FROM BASE LEG TO THE FINAL APPROACH HE REALIZED THAT HIS AIRPLANE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF HIM IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PILOT DECIDED TO GO-AROUND AND SIDE-STEP TO THE RIGHT OF RUNWAY 14 TO ENSURE SEPARATION FROM THE OTHER AIRPLANE THAT HAD LANDED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH

THE OTHER AIRPLANE, KEEPING IT AT HIS 9-10 0?CLOCK POSITION AND SLIGHTLY BELOW HIS POSITION AS HE CONTINUED HIS GO-AROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER HE SHIFTED HIS GAZE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS AIRPLANE, TO ASSESS IF THERE WERE ANY ADDITIONAL IMPEDIMENTS TO HIS FLIGHT PATH, THE OTHER AIRPLANE ?MADE AN APPARENT RIGHT TURN? AND COLLIDED WITH HIS AIRPLANE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF HIS AIRPLANE AND IT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND INTERMINGLED WITH THE OTHER

AIRPLANE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN21LA040Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportWeslaco, TXThe pilot of N87715 inadvertently allowed his airplane to drift right of the runway during the climb after a touch-and-go landing, and the pilot of N6463H did not maintain adequate separation from the other airplane during his go-around. Contributing to the…Nov 3, 2020 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N87715Piper J3C-65Accident 20201103021802A · Substantial damage