- Date
- April 2, 2003, 14:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Taunton, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N88387Piper J3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030402004069A
- Case key
- 56754
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 inadequate compensation for the winds, and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in the inadvertent stall. A factor in the accident was the tailwind.
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
According to the pilot, prior to takeoff, he noted the wind sock was 70 to 90 degrees different to the wind he physically felt on the ground. He departed runway 30, and while in flight he observed smoke near the airport which indicated a crosswind of approximately 135 degrees to the runway, which he thought appeared to be the same as on take off. The pilot said when he landed on runway 30, the wind shifted and the tail of the airplane was picked up by the "tail/cross wind." The airplane then veered left and started to depart the runway. Unable to correct with rudder or brakes, the pilot applied full power to abort the landing. After lift off, to avoid trees, the pilot banked right which, "...caused the right wing to stall and slide into the ground by the wind sock." The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical difficulties with the airplane. Winds at the airport were reported to be from 110 degrees at 7 knots about 20 minutes after the accident, and as calm 45 minutes before the accident.
Factual narrative
On April 2, 2003, at 1435 eastern standard time, a Piper J3C-65, N88387, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at the Taunton Municipal Airport (TAN), Taunton, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, prior to departing TAN, he noted the wind sock was 70 to 90 degrees different to the wind he physically felt on the ground. He departed runway 30, and while in flight, he observed smoke near the airport which indicated a crosswind of approximately 135 degrees to the runway. He said this, "Appeared to be the same as on take off." The pilot said when he landed on runway 30, the wind shifted and the tail of the airplane was picked up by the "tail/cross wind." The airplane then veered left and started to depart the runway. Unable to correct with rudder or brakes, the pilot applied full power to abort the landing. After lift off, to avoid trees, the pilot banked right.
The pilot further stated, "..I had to bank right behind the wind sock, the combination of the tail wind and bank caused the right wing to stall and slide into the ground by the wind sock." The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical difficulties with the airplane.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, examination of the airplane revealed the right wing spar was broken at the fuselage.
Winds at TAN were reported to be from 110 degrees at 7 knots about 20 minutes after the accident, and as calm 45 minutes before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88387
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16005
- Airframe hours
- 4,704
- Engine
- Continental C65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William E. Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 2002
- Departed
- TAN · Taunton, MA
- Destination
- TAN
- Airport
- TAN · Taunton Muni, runway 30, 3,500 × 75 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 340 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- TAN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.