# NTSB CEN19LA184: Piper J3C, N70803, Vine Grove, KY, June 23, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 23, 2019, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Vine Grove, KY - Coordinates: 37.815834, -85.964721 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8158&lon=-85.9647&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Continental Motors, Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 99705 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA184 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99705/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99705 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA184 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper visual lookout during the approach, which resulted in inadequate clearance from a tree. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: tree(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 933 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: tree(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Awareness of condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 933 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 54 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and a passenger departed in a tailwheel airplane on a local flight with the pilot flying the airplane from the rear seat. The pilot reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions through final approach to the airport, which was the pilot’s last recollection. The passenger did not recall the engine making any unusual sounds or any anomalies in the airplane's maneuverability during the flight. During the approach, the airplane had a nose-up pitch attitude, and a witness heard and observed the airplane flying low on the approach path to the airport. The passenger saw a tree and shouted to the pilot, then the airplane hit the tree, flew through it, and crashed. Postaccident examination of the airplane and the airplane's engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the temperature and dew point about the time of the accident revealed that the airplane was operated in the moderate carburetor icing range at cruise power or serious carburetor icing range at descent power. However, based on the passenger's and witnesses' observations of no anomalies with the engine and that the airplane was flying low, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain sufficient visual lookout during the approach and impacted the tree. ## Factual narrative On June 23, 2019, about 1845 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3C airplane, N70803, impacted a tree and terrain during an approach to the Vine Grove Airport (70KY), near Vine Grove, Kentucky. The private pilot and a passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane received substantial wing and fuselage damage during the impact. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from 70KY about 1700. A witness heard and observed an airplane fly low on the approach path to the airport and then it impacted a tree and terrain. The witness subsequently called 9-1-1. According to the pilot's accident report, the airplane was on final for runway 29. He woke up in the hospital about 3 weeks later and has no recollection of the final sequence of events of the flight. The pilot reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions during the flight. According to the passenger's statement, the passenger had flown with the pilot in the accident airplane several times before the accident flight. The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and the weather was cloudy when the passenger arrived for the flight. The passenger sat in the front seat and the pilot flew the airplane from the rear seat during the local "scenic" flight. The passenger did not remember any turbulence during the flight. He did not recall the engine making any unusual sounds or any anomalies in the airplane's maneuverability. The passenger did not recall any sun in his eyes. However, the airplane had a pitch up attitude during the approach. He saw what he thought was vegetation and lifted his head up to look out the windshield. The passenger then recalled seeing a tree and shouted to the pilot that there was a "tree right here." A "split second" later the airplane hit the tree, flew through it, and crashed. The pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and sea ratings and a private glider pilot certificate. He did not possess a current medical certificate and; therefore, was operating the airplane as a sport pilot. The pilot reported 909 hours of total flight time; 230 hours of which were in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot's last flight review was on May 6, 2019. N70803 was a single-engine, tailwheel, fixed-gear, high wing airplane with serial number 17821. It was powered by a 65-horsepower Continental A-65-8 F engine, with serial number 53563-6-8, which drove a two-bladed Sensenich propeller. At 1756, the recorded weather at the Godman Army Airfield, near Fort Knox, Kentucky, was: Wind 110° at 6 kts; visibility 10 statute miles; temperature 22° C; dew point 21° C; altimeter 29.90 inches of mercury. The temperature and dew point spread presentabout the time of the accident was in the moderate carburetor icing range at cruise power or serious carburetor icing range at descent power. 70KY was a private, non-towered airport, which was owned by Vine Grove Airport, Inc. It was located about one mile northeast of Vine Grove, Kentucky. The airport had one runway and a surveyed elevation of 680 ft above mean sea level. Runway 11/29 was a 2,700 ft by 60 ft runway with a turf surface. The airport listed a 25 ft power line, 10 ft from the runway end as an obstruction in reference to runway 11 and listed no obstructions to runway 29. A FAA inspector conducted an on-scene inspection of the airplane. The inspector observed that the right-wing control cables had been cut by first responders. All flight control surfaces were free moving and appeared to be interconnected. However, he could not confirm if connections had continuity with the control stick and rudder pedals due to damage. The aft control stick had been cut during the extraction of pilot. The propeller was able to be rotated, but a full rotation was not possible due to ground interference. There was a strong odor of fuel at the accident site. The airplane was subsequently recovered to a recovery yard for additional examination. A National Transportation Safety Board Senior Air Safety Investigator and a technical representative from the engine manufacturer examined the wreckage at the recovery yard and documented the wreckage. The pictures and observations revealed that the fuel shutoff valve appeared to be in the forward ON position. The throttle handle was in full aft CLOSED position. The carburetor heat selector was in the OFF position and the primer was in the forward locked position. One of the two propeller blades exhibited chordwise abrasion. The carburetor had separated from the engine below the mounting flange. The carburetor heat box was deformed, and the carburetor heat linkage was positioned consistent with carburetor heat being on. The fuel inlet fitting to carburetor was fractured. A liquid consistent with water was found in the carburetor bowl. Removed sparkplugs exhibited a normal wear and coloration compared to a Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug chart. The propeller flange was bent. All engine cylinders produced a thumb compression when the propeller was rotated by hand. No anomalies were detected that could not be attributed to impact damage. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N70803](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N70803-2020-06-19), registration cancelled 2020-06-19, S/N 17821, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper J3C (65) - Registry model: [Piper J3C-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (registry code 7100510) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A-65-8F](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-65-8f) (registry code 17330, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17821 - Year built: 1946 - Airframe hours: 5047.8 - Engines: Continental A-65-8F 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 15, 2018 - Departed: 70KY, Vine Grove, KY - Destination: 70KY, Vine Grove, KY - Airport: 70KY, Vine Grove, runway 29, 2,700 × 60 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 74; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: sport pilot; last flight review May 6, 2019; seat: rear; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 909 total, 230 in this make and model, 795 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 110° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: KFTK, 5 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190623007919A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190623007919A), Jun 23, 2019: Piper J3C-65, Vine Grove, KY, Destroyed. Struck a tree prior to landing on the private grass strip causing the aircraft to nosedive at the approach End of the runway 29. ## Docket (11 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99705. 7.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478276&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Witness Statements - Passenger (item 2, .PDF, 326 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478277&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements%20-%20Passenger-Master.PDF - Witness Statement (item 3, .PDF, 285 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478278&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement - Communication Summary - S. Travis, LOU FSDO (item 4, .PDF, 67 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478279&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement%20-%20Communication%20Summary%20-%20S.%20Travis,%20LOU%20FSDO-Master.PDF - Photos (item 5, .PDF, 20 photos, 3.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478280&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-Master.PDF - Maintenance Records - Logbook Excerpts (item 6, .PDF, 259 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478281&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%20-%20Logbook%20Excerpts-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 7, .PDF, 56 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478282&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF - Other Pertinent Forms and Reports - Icing Chart (item 8, .PDF, 167 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478283&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Other%20Pertinent%20Forms%20and%20Reports%20-%20Icing%20Chart-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous Information - Airport Master Record 70KY (item 9, .PDF, 17 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478285&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%20Information%20-%20Airport%20Master%20Record%2070KY-Master.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 10, .PDF, 166 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478288&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 11, .PDF, 154 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478290&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Master.PDF 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. --- 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.