- Date
- November 17, 2023, 13:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Buffalo, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N30494Piper J3C
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- 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 FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231117018609A
- Case key
- 193405
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 directional control during the landing roll with a quartering headwind.
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 reported that, while practicing touch-and-go landings, the tailwheel-equipped airplane touched down and immediately veered right. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder and brake; however, the airplane exited the right side of the runway. During the excursion the airplane collided with an airport sign, and the right wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and its lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 18 with wind from 210° at 12 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30494
- Reported as
- Piper J3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4874
- Built
- 1940
- Airframe hours
- 738.3
- Engine
- Continental C85-8, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 2023
- Departed
- CFE · Buffalo, MN
- Airport
- CFE · Buffalo Muni, runway 18, 3,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 727
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 603 total · 125 in this make and model · 287.2 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3.3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 27, 2023
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 298 total · 9.1 in this make and model · 213.9 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- KCFE
- METAR
- METAR KCFE 171915Z AUTO 21012KT 10SM FEW090 06/M06 A2999 RMK AO2=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 29, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.