- Date
- May 8, 2010, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kyle, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N24502Piper J3L
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100508033919A
- Case key
- 75968
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 improper touchdown on a soft landing area, resulting in a nose over.
Findings · 3
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane said that all three wheels were about to touch the ground during landing when he realized that the "field was softer than expected." He pulled the stick back to the stop and "was not able to apply throttle quick enough to keep tail pressure down." The airplane then nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot's report did not list any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane reference the accident flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel airplane said that all three wheels were about to touch the ground during landing when he realized that the "field was softer than expected." He pulled the stick back to the stop and "was not able to apply throttle quick enough to keep tail pressure down." The airplane then nosed over. The pilot's report did not list any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane reference the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24502
- Reported as
- Piper J3L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3221
- Airframe hours
- 3,601
- Engine
- Cont Motor A 75-8, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 2009
- Departed
- PVT · Kyle, SD
- Destination
- PVT · Kyle, SD
- Airport
- PVT · Private
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 247 total · 247 in this make and model · 247 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- RAP
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 747 KB 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.
Other investigations on N24502 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.