- Date
- July 16, 2023, 17:36 local (22:36 UTC)
- Place
- Princeton, TX · pasture
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N41317Piper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- 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 - North Texas FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230716021369A
- Case key
- 192634
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 student pilot’s decision to attempt a takeoff from an unimproved field which resulted in an impact with an obstacle.
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 student pilot attempted to depart from a rough grass field. The student pilot reported that the airplane did not climb as expected and during a turn, the airplane struck a pipe protecting a gas meter. He landed the airplane to avoid trees in his flight path. During the precautionary landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. During an interview with the Federal Aviation Administration inspector assigned to the accident the student pilot did not allude to any mechanical issues with the airplane. The student pilot stated further that he did not have enough room for the takeoff. It was estimated that the field length was about 700 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41317
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8008
- Built
- 1941
- Airframe hours
- 3,206.4
- Engine
- Continental C85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 12, 2022
- Destination
- Anna, TX
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 90 in this make and model · 25 as pilot in command · 99 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KTKI, 5 nm away
- METAR
- KTKI 162153Z 13006KT 10SM CLR 27/22 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP156 T02670222,M
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.