- Date
- August 20, 2000, 11:12 local (15:12 UTC)
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N70673Piper J3-C65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000820011219A
- Case key
- 50036
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 improper judgment not to sit in the pilot's seat (rear seat) and improper use of brakes on landing roll resulting in a loss of directional control and subsequent 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 pilot was flying the airplane from the front seat when it was placard by the FAA for solo flight in the rear seat only. The pilot dropped off his banner in the sod area adjacent to the runway and side stepped to the left landing on the runway. The tail of the airplane came up; he applied throttle, aft stick, and his body weight shifted forward. He inadvertently applied brakes, experienced a loss of directional control, and subsequent nose over of the airplane.
Factual narrative
On August 20, 2000, at about 1112 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N7073, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 banner tow flight, experienced an on-ground loss of control on landing at Albert Whitted Airport (SPG), St. Petersburg, Florida, and nosed over inverted. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from SPG about 1 hour 12 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he entered a left base for the sod area located adjacent to runway 36 to drop off his banner. He completed the banner drop and side stepped to the left and made a wheel landing to runway 36. The tail of the airplane came up; he applied a little throttle, aft stick, and his body weight shifted forward. He inadvertently applied brakes, experienced a loss of directional control, and subsequent nose over of the airplane.
The pilot was flying the airplane from the front seat. Review of Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, Aircraft Specification No. A-691 states that the Model J3C airplane is placard stating, "Solo flying in rear seat only."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70673
- Reported as
- Piper J3-C65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17694
- Airframe hours
- 12,549
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas W. Merrifield
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 28, 2000 · 44 hours before
- Airport
- SPG · Albert Whitted Muni, runway 36, 2,864 × 150 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 952 total · 905 as pilot in command · 249 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG
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 N70673 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.