- Date
- May 12, 2007, 17:30 local (May 13, 2007, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Quincy, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N98041Piper J3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070512020149A
- Case key
- 65780
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 excessive use of the brakes, which resulted in a nose over.
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 nosed over and came to rest inverted during the landing roll. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to practice landings in an open pasture. The pasture was flat with a cover of grass about 5 inches in height. He began a normal wheel landing in the pasture. After touchdown he applied brake pressure and attempted to keep the tail up with the elevator control. He continued to apply brake pressure and as the airplane slowed, the tail rose upward. The airplane nosed over to inverted. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. The tail and right wing sustained damage during the accident sequence.
Factual narrative
The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted during the landing roll. In a written statement, the pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice landings in an open pasture on his family's property. The pasture was flat with a cover of grass about 5 inches in height. He began a normal wheel landing in the pasture, where after touchdown he applied brake pressure and attempted to keep the tail up with the elevator control. He continued to apply brake pressure and the as the airplane slowed the tail rose upward. The airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted.
The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. The tail and right wing sustained damage during the accident sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98041
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18188
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Quincy, CA
- Destination
- Quincy, CA
- Airport
- NONE · Private Pasture, runway 00, 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
- 25
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 365 total · 55 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.