- Date
- July 27, 2024, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N98813Piper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Takeoff: 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
- 20240727020719A
- Case key
- 194800
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 decision to allow a non-rated passenger to manipulate the flight controls during the takeoff which resulted in a loss of directional control during the takeoff.
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 during takeoff, the non-rated passenger manipulating the flight controls lost directional control of the airplane due to p-factor. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane ground looped to the left, impacted a runway lighting system, and came to rest in the grass. During the ground loop, the left wing struck the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98813
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19056
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Continental C-85-8, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- T67 · Hicks Airfield, runway 14, 3,740 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,466 total · 380 in this make and model · 5.5 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3 total · 3 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- KAFW, 6 nm away
- METAR
- KAFW 271653Z VRB03KT 10SM SCT015 SCT070 28/21 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP139 T02830211=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.8 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.