- Date
- May 9, 2013, 19:24 local (23:24 UTC)
- Place
- Selma, NC
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N21609Piper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130509007749A
- Case key
- 86855
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 instructor pilot’s inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in a collision with power lines and then the ground.
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
According to the instructor pilot, he was at the airplane controls while he demonstrated a touch and go landing with the student pilot. He stated that the airplane collided with unmarked power lines during an attempt to land on an undesignated grass strip. The airplane came to rest on the ground inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the airplane fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the instructor pilot, he was at the airplane controls while he demonstrated a touch and go landing with the student pilot. He stated that the airplane collided with unmarked power lines during an attempt to land on an undesignated grass strip. The airplane came to rest on the ground inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the airplane fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21609
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2460
- Airframe hours
- 2,003
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2012 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- JNX · Smithfield, NC
- Destination
- JNX · Smithfield, NC
- Airport
- None · No Identifier, runway 27, 2,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 29, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 17,400 total · 407 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 14
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 17 total · 17 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- JNX, 6 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 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.
Other investigations on N21609 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.