- Date
- April 28, 2001, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Annapolis, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N26096Piper J3-C65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010428039399A
- Case key
- 52168
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
pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A factor was the crosswind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane had just landed on runway 30 at Lee Airport (ANP), Annapolis, Maryland, when a gust of wind blew the right wing straight up and caused the left wheel and wing tip to contact the ground. The airplane then turned around 180 degrees, and came to rest upright to the left side of the runway. The pilot stated that during the landing approach, the wind was blowing right down the runway about 11 knots, and there was no need to do a crosswind landing. Weather at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), Baltimore, Maryland, was reported as winds from 040 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies.
Factual narrative
On April 28, 2001, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3-C65, N26096, was substantially damaged during landing at Lee Airport (ANP), Annapolis, Maryland. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The purpose of the flight was to take a participant in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program up on an observation flight.
In a telephone conversation, the pilot said that this was his fourth landing of the day, and the approach and flare to runway 30 were normal. However, when the wheels were about to touch the ground, a gust of wind blew the right wing straight up, and the left wheel and wing tip contacted the ground. The airplane turned 180 degrees around and came to rest upright to the left of the runway with the engine still running. He taxied back to the ramp and parked.
The pilot reported that the weather was "bumpy," but on final approach the wind was blowing straight down the runway about 11 knots. He said there was no need to do a crosswind landing, and his wings stayed level into the landing flare.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed an on-scene examination. According to the inspector, the left wing was bent up about 30 degrees outboard of the left wing strut.
The pilot reported a total of 1,010 flight hours, of which 650 hours were in tail wheel aircraft.
The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions.
The winds reported at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), Baltimore, Maryland, were from 040 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 17 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26096
- Reported as
- Piper J3-C65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4057
- Airframe hours
- 3,407
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 2000 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- ANP · Annapolis, MD
- Airport
- ANP · Lee Airport, runway 12, 2,505 × 48 ft, asphalt
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- July 6, 2000
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 610 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.