- Date
- September 29, 2009, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spearfish, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3260NPiper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Rapid City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090929049879A
- Case key
- 74809
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was practicing landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane when the accident occurred. He reported that after his third landing he advanced engine power for another takeoff, but lost directional control and the airplane ground looped. The aft fuselage and right elevator were substantially damaged during the ground loop. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot was practicing wheel landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane when the accident occurred. He reported that after his third landing he advanced engine power for another takeoff, but he lost directional control and the airplane subsequently ground looped. The aft fuselage and right elevator were substantially damaged during the ground loop. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3260N
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22452
- Airframe hours
- 3,629
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental C85-8F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 2009
- Departed
- KSPF · Spearfish, SD
- Destination
- KSPF · Spearfish, SD
- Airport
- KSPF · Black Hills Airport, runway 04, 2,023 × 150 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2009
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 713 total · 29 in this make and model · 503 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- KSPF
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 30, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.