- Date
- March 10, 1990, 11:56 local (19:56 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N21677Piper J3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900310003699A
- Case key
- 26751
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control by not compensating for changing wind conditions.
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 landed on runway 30 with the winds from 230 to 280 degrees at 8 gusting to 12 knots. The pilot stated he could not control the aircraft and it departed the runway. Attempts by the pilot to regain control of the aircraft were unsuccessful. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or problems with the aircraft prior to its collision with the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21677
- Reported as
- Piper J3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2561
- Engine
- Continental A65-8F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- West Valley Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- PAO
- Destination
- PAO
- Airport
- PAO · Palo Alto, runway 30, 2,500 × 65 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 218 total · 24 in this make and model · 180 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N21677 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.