- Date
- June 5, 2023, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Salem, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N42220Piper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230605006869A
- Case key
- 192321
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 landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and the left main landing gear collapse.
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 reported that she landed hard on the left main landing gear, which resulted in the landing gear collapse. The left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane spun 180°. A post- accident inspection revealed that there was substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42220
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14470
- Built
- 1945
- Airframe hours
- 2,930
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12F, 85 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2023
- Departed
- 57C · East Troy, WI
- Airport
- PVT · Private
- 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
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 391 total · 391 in this make and model · 352 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KMKE, 24 nm away
- METAR
- KMKE 052252Z 06011KT 10SM FEW018 SCT085 BKN250 24/19 A2998
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.