- Date
- December 7, 2001, 11:09 local (16:09 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore Falls, ME
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N40621Piper J3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20011207031349A
- Case key
- 53888
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 proper altitude clearance while landing, which resulted in a collision with trees. 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 pilot departed on a pleasure flight and was approaching his destination. He intended to land on runway 20, a 2,350 foot-long, 125 foot wide turf strip. When he arrived at the airport, the wind sock was straight out in a direct crosswind to the runway. While on approach to land, the pilot stated that he was "slipping in." He added that while on final he was too low, and he realized that he was going to hit the trees. He leveled the wings, and "clipped" the trees. The airplane was spun 180 degrees, and came to rest on the ground. The pilot reported that it had been about 6 years since his most recent biennial flight review, and about 7 years since his last FAA medical examination. A weather observation, at an airport about 15 miles from the accident site included winds from 290 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 23 knots.
Factual narrative
On December 7, 2001, at 1109 eastern standard time, a Piper J3 Cub, N40621, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees on final approach to Bowman Field (B10), Livermore Falls, Maine. The certificated private pilot/owner was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at the Oxford County Regional Airport (81B), Oxford, Maine. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
During a telephone interview, the pilot said he departed on the pleasure flight without obtaining a weather briefing or filing a flight plan. He stated that it was a nice day to go flying, and he picked Bowman Field because he hadn't been there in a while. The pilot said he intended to land on runway 20, a 2,350-foot long, 125-foot wide turf strip. Upon arrival at the airport, the wind sock was "straight out in a direct crosswind to runway 20." He said that there was a "pretty good" crosswind, and that he had never landed to the south before.
While on approach to land, the pilot stated that he was "slipping in," when he realized he was too low and was going to hit trees. The airplane struck a large tree, was spun 180 degrees, and came to rest on the ground.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. He reported 1,700 hours of flight experience, 1,400 hours of which were in make and model. The pilot's most recent third class medical certificate was issued September 28, 1994.
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector that his most recent biennial flight review was completed in 1995.
A weather observation, taken from an airport about 15 miles from the accident site included winds from 290 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 23 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40621
- Reported as
- Piper J3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7404
- Airframe hours
- 5,383
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary H. Rounds
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 7, 2001 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- 81B · Oxford County, ME
- Destination
- B10 · Livermore Falls, ME
- Airport
- B10 · Bowman Field Airport, runway 20, 2,350 × 125 ft, grass/turf
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
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Last flight review
- December 11, 1990
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,518 total · 1,342 in this make and model · 1,423 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- AUG, 16 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.