# NTSB NYC02LA133: Piper J3-C65, N9264, Andover, NJ, July 7, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 7, 2002, 09:50 local (13:50 UTC) - Place: Andover, NJ - Coordinates: 40.966667, -74.783332 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9667&lon=-74.7833&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report January 16, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55149 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC02LA133 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55149/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55149 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02LA133 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's delayed remedial action, and the private pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, descent - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - airspeed - not maintained, dual student (cause) - stall/spin - inadvertent, flightcrew - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering ## Analysis The private pilot was receiving training for tailwheel endorsement. Near the end of the flight, and after completing a landing, the private pilot climbed the airplane to 600 feet and turned crosswind. At 700 feet, the flight instructor reduced power to simulate an engine failure. The private pilot "kept pulling the nose up," and the flight instructor told him three times to "keep the nose down." The private pilot turned the airplane 90 degrees, towards the airstrip. He let the airplane "get too slow and low," and the flight instructor took control. As he did so, the airplane stalled and entered a right spin. The flight instructor recovered from the spin about 30 feet above the ground, added power, and saw trees ahead. He turned the airplane steeply to avoid the trees, and during the rollout from the steep turn, the airplane's left wing impacted the ground. ## Factual narrative On July 7, 2002, about 0950 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3-C65, N9264, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground near Trinca Airport (13N), Andover, New Jersey. The certificated flight instructor was seriously injured, and the certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan had been filed for the local instructional flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot was receiving training for a tailwheel endorsement. According to the flight instructor, after completing a landing, the private pilot climbed the airplane to 600 feet above the ground, and turned crosswind. At 700 feet, the flight instructor reduced power to simulate an engine failure. The private pilot "kept pulling the nose up," and the flight instructor told him three times to "keep the nose down." The private pilot turned the airplane 90 degrees, towards the airstrip. He then let the airplane "get too slow and low," and the flight instructor took control of the airplane. As he did so, the airplane stalled and entered a right spin. The flight instructor recovered from the spin about 30 feet above the ground, added power, and saw trees ahead. He turned the airplane steeply to avoid trees. However, during the rollout from the steep turn, the airplane's left wing impacted the ground. The flight instructor further added that the accident occurred near the end of the instructional flight, and that the maneuver was the last one before the final landing. He also noted that the private pilot had successfully completed the maneuver three times during the same flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9264](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9264), registered now, S/N 17062, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper J3-C65 - Registry model: [Piper J3C-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (registry code 7100510) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17062 - Airframe hours: 2500 - Engines: Continental C65 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Andover Aero, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2002, 80 hours before - Departed: 13N, Andover, NJ - Airport: 13N, Trinca ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 42; injuries: serious; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review November 30, 2001; seat: front; flight hours: 762 total, 145 in this make and model, 645 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 41 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 54; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: rear; flight hours: 236 total, 11 in this make and model, 134 as pilot in command, 9 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 30.14 inHg - Observed at: MMU, 20 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020707015869A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020707015869A), Jul 7, 2002: Piper J3C65, Andover, NJ, No damage. (.19) On July 7, 2002, about 1100 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3-C65, N9264, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground near Trinca Airport… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55149. 303 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 303 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40461259&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.