- Date
- June 6, 1996, 13:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Chester, CT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N68952Piper J-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960606012949A
- Case key
- 39193
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 use of rudder control to maintain directional control during landing.
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 ground looped during the landing roll and the wing dragged the ground. According to the pilot, during rollout, the airplane began to turn into the wind, he overcorrected with rudder, and the airplane ground looped. The airplane came to a stop in grass next to the runway.
Factual narrative
On June 6, 1996, at 1335 eastern daylight time, a Piper J-3, NC68952, was substantially damaged during landing roll at Chester Airport(3B9), Chester, Connecticut. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The local, personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 the pilot describes what occurred as follows; I"touched down at Chester Airport and was beginning rollout, felt the plane was turning into the wind. Applied too much left rudder and ground looped. Went off left side of runway. Applied too much right rudder and put the right wing tip into the grass, then stopped."
The pilot further indicated on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 that there were no mechanical malfunctions of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68952
- Reported as
- Piper J-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13-172
- Airframe hours
- 1,893
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jack Gretta Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 3B9
- Airport
- 3B9 · Chester, runway 17, 2,566 × 50 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,588 total · 2,484 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GON
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.