- Date
- May 22, 2019, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Louisa, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N30683Piper J3C
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190522004999A
- Case key
- 99473
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 maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and the landing gear collapsing.
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, during landing and while decelerating, the airplane veered left. He applied full right rudder, but there was "little to no change in the yaw" with the control stick full aft. He added that the tailwheel had "unlocked" when it contacted the runway because the airplane yawed left. He added engine power to increase airflow for better rudder effectiveness, and the airplane began to straighten out, but it then exited the runway to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during landing, while decelerating, the airplane veered left. He applied full right rudder, but there was "little to no change in the yaw" with the control stick full aft. The tailwheel had "unlocked" when it contacted the runway since the airplane was yawed to the left. He added engine power to increase airflow for better rudder effectiveness and the airplane began to straighten out, but the airplane exited the runway to the left and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was calm. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 04.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30683
- Reported as
- Piper J3C (65)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5046
- Built
- 1940
- Airframe hours
- 2,762
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2019
- Departed
- LKU · Louisa, VA
- Destination
- LKU · Louisa, VA
- Airport
- LKU · Louisa County/Freeman Field, runway 27, 4,300 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 11, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 5,770 total · 72 in this make and model · 1,908 as pilot in command · 128 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- KLKU
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.