- Date
- March 1, 2015, 12:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Clermont, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N717MLPiper J3C 65
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing area overshoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150301002129A
- Case key
- 90808
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 land the airplane within the desired touchdown zone, resulting in a long landing and collision with a fence.
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
The pilot reported that he was landing his airplane at his residence, on a 5-acre grass field, at the conclusion of a local, sightseeing flight. He landed long and could not stop the airplane before it collided with a security fence at an adjacent residence. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot reported 4,000 hours total time; however had accrued only 15 hours in the accident airplane and received a tail wheel endorsement about 3 weeks prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing his airplane at his residence, on a 5-acre grass field, at the conclusion of a local, sightseeing flight. He landed long and could not stop the airplane before it collided with a security fence at an adjacent residence. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot reported 4,000 hours total time; however had accrued only 15 hours in the accident airplane and received a tail wheel endorsement about 3 weeks prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N717ML
- Reported as
- Piper J3C 65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22411
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 5,800
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85-8FJ, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David Harmon
- Registered owner
- David Harmon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 17, 2014
- Departed
- None · Clermont, FL
- Destination
- None · Clermont, FL
- Airport
- None · None
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 9, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 15 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- LEE, 20 nm away
Docket · 10
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.6 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.