What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 03, 2021 at 16:50 local time, a Piper J-3F50 aircraft, NC26811, registered to and operated by a commercial rated pilot, received substantial damage when it impacted terrain during a runway fly-by at the ojibwa airpark (D11), Weidman, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The local flight originated from the mount pleasant municipal airport (mop) approximately one hour prior to the accident.
According to the pilot he was attempting to complete a fly-by of the snow covered grass runway at ojibwa airpark with no intention to land. Near the midway point of the runway, the aircraft altitude was allowed to sink to the point that the left main gear tire made contact and the aircraft was ?sucked? Into 12 inches of packed and soft snow. The aircraft immediately nosed over with the propeller and engine cowl making contact with the ground. The pilot also stated the aircraft had almost come to a stop when the tail came over with the aircraft coming to rest inverted on the runway surface. The pilot was the sole occupant and was uninjured during the accident.
Photographs show leading edge and wing spar damage to the left wing. The propeller blades are bent aft with cord wise scratching on both. The engine cowl shows crush damage into the boot cowl with upward bending of the engine mount. The rudder and vertical stabilizer both show crush damage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies prior to the accident.
Weather report at kmop airport at 2055 UTC was: wind 260 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temp 04 dew point -10 and altimeter 30.00.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 03, 2021 AT 16:50 LOCAL TIME, A PIPER J-3F50 AIRCRAFT, NC26811, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A RUNWAY FLY-BY AT THE OJIBWA AIRPARK (D11), WEIDMAN, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE MOUNT PLEASANT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MOP) APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE A FLY-BY OF THE SNOW COVERED GRASS RUNWAY AT OJIBWA AIRPARK WITH NO INTENTION TO LAND. NEAR THE MIDWAY POINT OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE WAS ALLOWED TO SINK TO THE POINT THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TIRE MADE CONTACT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS ?SUCKED? INTO 12 INCHES OF PACKED AND SOFT SNOW. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY NOSED OVER WITH THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE COWL MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD ALMOST COME TO A STOP WHEN THE TAIL CAME OVER WITH THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO REST INVERTED ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND WAS UNINJURED DURING THE ACCIDENT.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW LEADING EDGE AND WING SPAR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. THE PROPELLER BLADES ARE BENT AFT WITH CORD WISE SCRATCHING ON BOTH. THE ENGINE COWL SHOWS CRUSH DAMAGE INTO THE BOOT COWL WITH UPWARD BENDING OF THE ENGINE MOUNT. THE RUDDER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER BOTH SHOW CRUSH DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
WEATHER REPORT AT KMOP AIRPORT AT 2055 UTC WAS: WIND 260 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP 04 DEW POINT -10 AND ALTIMETER 30.00.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.