- Date
- January 13, 1991, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Springbrook, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N87867Piper J3C-65
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910113000479A
- Case key
- 14992
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 attempt to takeoff with a strong gusty tailwind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A commercial pilot in a tailwheel airplane with skis attempted takeoff from a 1200 foot long cornfield covered with 8 inches of loose snow. The ground run was parallel to the furrows with wind at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots, directly behind the airplane. The pilot's statement indicates the engine lost power 2/3 of the way down the field, and he attempted to turn across the furrows before encountering a fence on the field boundary. The airplane rolled and nosed over to the outside of the turn. No discrepancy was found on the airframe or engine aside from accident damage. The owner, who saw the accident, stated the tailwheel dragged the length of the ground run and he heard full power from commencement of the takeoff to nose over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87867
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15485
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kris G. Wells
- Registered owner
- Kris G. Wells
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- NONE · See Narrative
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
- 47
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 150 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIE, 28 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.