What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 21, 2022 at approximately 1300 CST while attempting to taxi off runway 27 after landing, a Piper J3C-65 cub experienced a gust of wind lifting the left wing. The aircraft went up on the nose of the aircraft, continued rotating ending up on the top side of the aircraft just off runway 27 at Hartford Municipal Airport, Hartford, WI (hxf) ending upside down in the grass. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the tail section, wings and fuselage. The pilot (instructor) and student were able to exit the aircraft with no reported injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of this accident.
The certified flight instructor (PIC) was giving currency training to a private pilot in a tailwheel aircraft. The weather conditions were favorable for flight that morning. The forecast for later that afternoon stated increased winds with possible gusty wind conditions. The flight lesson was concluding after 1. 5 hours of training. They landed on runway 27 and came to a full stop. She commented that they would not be doing any special maneuvers (s-turns)to get the aircraft back to the hanger. She was aware of the flight controls with proper placement for the weather conditions. They were taxiing at a speed of approximately 5 miles per hour on the runway. A gust of wind came up and lifted the left wing and the aircraft rotated up on the nose/ engine area. The aircraft continued to roll over and ended up on the top side of the fuselage off the runway in the grass (upside down). Both occupants were able to exit the aircraft with no reported injuries.
During the interview the next day, she commented that the weather forecast was inaccurate and that the winds were gusting around 35 miles per hour which was greater than what was forecasted. The instructor confirmed that she was aware of the conditions and adjusted her taxi procedures to safely return to the hanger. She commented that windy conditions prevailed however the gust of wind was not foreseen or controllable during taxiing of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 21, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 CST WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAXI OFF RUNWAY 27 AFTER LANDING, A PIPER J3C-65 CUB EXPERIENCED A GUST OF WIND LIFTING THE LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT WENT UP ON THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT, CONTINUED ROTATING ENDING UP ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT JUST OFF RUNWAY 27 AT HARTFORD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, HARTFORD, WI (HXF) ENDING UPSIDE DOWN IN THE GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL SECTION, WINGS AND FUSELAGE. THE PILOT (INSTRUCTOR) AND STUDENT WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT.
THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (PIC) WAS GIVING CURRENCY TRAINING TO A PRIVATE PILOT IN A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR FLIGHT THAT MORNING. THE FORECAST FOR LATER THAT AFTERNOON STATED INCREASED WINDS WITH POSSIBLE GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. THE FLIGHT LESSON WAS CONCLUDING AFTER 1. 5 HOURS OF TRAINING. THEY LANDED ON RUNWAY 27 AND CAME TO A FULL STOP. SHE COMMENTED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE DOING ANY SPECIAL MANEUVERS (S-TURNS)TO GET THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE HANGER. SHE WAS AWARE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WITH PROPER PLACEMENT FOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THEY WERE TAXIING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES PER HOUR ON THE RUNWAY. A GUST OF WIND CAME UP AND LIFTED THE LEFT WING AND THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED UP ON THE NOSE/ ENGINE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL OVER AND ENDED UP ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE OFF THE RUNWAY IN THE GRASS (UPSIDE DOWN). BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES.
DURING THE INTERVIEW THE NEXT DAY, SHE COMMENTED THAT THE WEATHER FORECAST WAS INACCURATE AND THAT THE WINDS WERE GUSTING AROUND 35 MILES PER HOUR WHICH WAS GREATER THAN WHAT WAS FORECASTED. THE INSTRUCTOR CONFIRMED THAT SHE WAS AWARE OF THE CONDITIONS AND ADJUSTED HER TAXI PROCEDURES TO SAFELY RETURN TO THE HANGER. SHE COMMENTED THAT WINDY CONDITIONS PREVAILED HOWEVER THE GUST OF WIND WAS NOT FORESEEN OR CONTROLLABLE DURING TAXIING OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9721Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.