- Date
- February 3, 2021, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Weidman, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N26811Piper J3F-50
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Matthews
- FAA report
- 20210203000359A
- Case key
- 102598
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 clearance from terrain during a low approach over a snow-covered runway. Contributing to the accident was the loss of depth perception due to the bright sunlight and snow.
Findings · 5
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 flew a low-altitude approach over a snow-covered runway. During the approach his depth perception was degraded from the bright sunlight that reflected off of the snow. The landing gear hit the snow and the airplane subsequently nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26811
- Reported as
- Piper J3F-50
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4191
- Built
- 1940
- Airframe hours
- 4,152
- Engine
- Continental A65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jacobs James A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 2020
- Departed
- MOP · Mount Pleasant, MI
- Airport
- D11 · Ojibwa Airpark, runway 5, 3,600 × 125 ft, snow
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KMOP, 13 nm away
- METAR
- KMOP 032035Z AUTO 30004KT 10SM CLR 03/M10 A3000 RMK AO2 T00321101
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.