- Date
- January 13, 2018, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Astoria, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N35226Piper J3L
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Part(s) separation from AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180113000799A
- Case key
- 96620
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 control stick handgrip separation from the control stick resulting in the airplane pitching forward, which resulted in hard landing.
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
According to the pilot, he was flying the tailwheel-equipped airplane from the rear seat. During the landing flare, with the control stick in an aft position, the control stick's rubber handgrip slipped off, allowing the stick to move forward. Before he could recover the stick, the airplane pitched down, and landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, the forward lower fuselage and the longerons in the tail section.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was flying the tailwheel-equipped airplane from the rear seat. During the landing flare, with the control stick in an aft position, the control stick's rubber handgrip slipped off, allowing the stick to move forward. Before he could recover the stick, the airplane pitched down, and landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, the forward lower fuselage and the longerons in the tail section.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35226
- Reported as
- Piper J3L (65)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6221
- Built
- 1944
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2016
- Departed
- OR23 · Astoria, OR
- Destination
- OR23 · Astoria, OR
- Airport
- OR23 · Karpens, runway 10, 1,900 × 75 ft
- Equipment
- 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
- 84
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 30, 2016
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,899 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,760 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KAST, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.