# Accident 20230716021369A: Piper J3C-65, Princeton, TX, July 16, 2023 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 16, 2023, 17:30 local time - Place: Princeton, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.1929° N, 96.4912° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1929&lon=-96.4912&mi=10 - Aircraft: N41317, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N41317) (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 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 100 total, 30 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23LA309](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA309) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230716021369A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED AIRCRAFT HAD ATTEMPTED TO DEPART A PASTURE AND SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE THE TAILWHEEL STRUCK A NATURAL GAS PIPE STRUCTURE LEADING TO AN ABORTED TAKEOFF. THE TAILWHEEL SHEARED OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND UPRIGHT WITH EVIDENCE OF BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING IMPACTING THE GROUND AS IT PROCEEDED DOWNHILL COMING TO REST NEAR THE DRIVEWAY JUST PRIOR TO A LINE OF TREES. PRINCIPLE DAMAGE WAS TO THE LEFT WING, TAILWHEEL, LEFT REAR FUSELAGE, AND THE RIGHT FUSELAGE ADJACENT TO THE PILOT SEAT. INTERVIEW OF VARIOUS WITNESSES ON SCENE STATED PILOT HAD LANDED IN THE FIELD PREVIOUSLY TO ATTEND A CHILD'S BIRTHDAY PARTY AND HAD ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE NORTHWEST TO THE SOUTHEAST WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ESTIMATED LENGTH OF THE FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 700'. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT LOW TO THE GROUND DURING THE TAKEOFF JUST PRIOR TO A BARN OBSTRUCTING THEIR VIEW WHEN THEY HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THEN OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND WITH LIMITED CONTROL UNTIL IT CAME TO REST ALONG THE ROAD. PILOT WAS NOT ON SCENE AS HE HAD BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR A POSSIBLE FLYING WHILE INTOXICATED CHARGE. THIS CHARGE WAS LATER REFUSED BY THE COLLIN COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND WAS NOT PROSECUTED. PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED AT APPROXIMATELY 2300 AT THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND GIVEN THE COMPLIANCE PROGRAM BROCHURE PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE NORHTWEST CORNER OF THE PASTURE TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST BUT COULD NOT GET ENOUGH LIFT AND INSTEAD OF RUNNING INTO A FENCELINE TRIED TO GET OVER IT WHEN HE FELT HIS TAILWHEEL HIT SOMETHING. HE STATED THAT HE THEN REDUCED THE THROTTLE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF BUT HAD NO CONTROL AND ONLY BRAKES WHICH HE USED TO STEER TOWARDS AN OPENING IN THE TREE LINE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE STATED HE WENT UP TO THE HOUSE AND WAS GIVEN A LARGE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE BUT THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ANY ALCOHOL TO DRINK PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE HIS PILOT CERTIFICATE OR MEDICAL ON HIS PERSON AND STATED THEY WERE IN HIS OTHER AIRPLANE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND REGISTRATION FOR THE AIRCRAFT HE STATED THAT THEY WERE IN A SAFE AT HIS HOUSE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT WHAT HIS ESTIMATED TAKEOFF DISTANCE WAS, HE REPLIED THAT HE THOUGHT HE COULD TAKE OFF IN APPROXIMATELY 200' WITH A HEADWIND BUT THERE WAS NO WIND THAT DAY. AS THE PILOT WAS INCARCERTATED HE WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD BE CONTACTED AT A LATER DATE TO REVIEW HIS PILOT LOGBOOKS, CERTIFICATES, MEDICAL, AND THE MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS FOR THE AIRCRAFT. REVIEW OF PILOT CERTIFICATE AND LOGBOOKS REVEALED HE WAS A STUDENT PILOT AND HAD LOGGED 14 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME. HOWEVER, DURING THE PREVIOUS INTERVIEW THE PILOT STATED HE HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 100 HOURS TOTAL WITH THE MAJORITY AS SOLO FLIGHT TIME. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ONLY SOLO ENDORSEMENT IN THE LOGBOOK WAS AN OUTDATED 61.87(N) 90-DAY ENDORSEMENT FROM OCTOBER 2022 SIGNED BY A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THAT DID NOT LOG ANY DUAL FLIGHTS IN THE STUDENTS' LOGBOOK. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT POSSESS A TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT. A SEPARATE INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED REGARDING THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND APPARENT LACK OF PROPER ENDORSEMENTS AND LOGBOOK ENTRIES. AN INTERVIEW OF A LOCAL FAA DESIGNEE WITH CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE OPERATING J-3 CUB AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTED TO GAIN INFORMATION ON EXPECTED TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE SINCE THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE MANUFACTURER PUBLISHED DATA. DESIGNEE WAS GIVEN THE VARIABLES OF THE ELEVATION, ENGINE H.P., AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION, WIND, TEMPERATURE, AND FIELD CONDITION AND ASKED WHAT THE ESTIMATED TAKEOFF DISTANCE WOULD BE GIVEN THOSE CONDITIONS. ESTIMATED DISTANCE FOR TAKEOFF WAS APPROXIMATELY 700' BASED ON THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCE OPERATING THAT TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. ## 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 CEN23LA309](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA309), Jul 16, 2023: Piper J3C-65 (N41317), Princeton, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot’s decision to attempt a takeoff from an unimproved field which resulted in an impact with an obstacle. 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.