- Date
- October 3, 2017, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Yakima, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N48694Piper J3C
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171003011279A
- Case key
- 96137
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
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 flight instructor of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the purpose of the flight was to demonstrate a short-field takeoff to an observing student. During the takeoff roll, about rotation speed, the left wing unexpectedly dropped and impacted the ground. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that the purpose of the flight was to demonstrate a short field takeoff to an observing student. During the takeoff roll, about rotation speed, the left wing unexpectedly dropped and impacted the ground. Subsequently the airplane ground looped and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48694
- Reported as
- Piper J3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10377
- Built
- 1943
- Airframe hours
- 3,037.7
- Engine
- Cont Motor C-85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 8, 2017
- Departed
- YKM · Yakima, WA
- Destination
- YKM · Yakima, WA
- Airport
- YKM · Yakima Air Terminal/Mcallister, runway 27, 7,604 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 84
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 29, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 3,800 total · 300 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2017
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- KYKM
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 831 KB 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.