- Date
- May 16, 2014, 13:41 local (20:41 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N92090Piper J3C 65
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140516006619A
- Case key
- 89256
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while on short final, he made note of the wind direction. After touchdown the wind direction changed and he attempted to adjust for the wind shift however, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, traversed on the dirt, and struck a ditch. The landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a rest on its belly which substantially damaged the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on short final, he made note of the wind direction. After touchdown the wind direction changed and he attempted to adjust for the wind shift however, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, traversed on the dirt, and struck a ditch. The landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a rest on its belly which substantially damaged the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92090
- Reported as
- Piper J3C 65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16523
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Heinz John
- Registered owner
- Heinz John
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- RYN · Tucson, AZ
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- RYN · Ryan Field Airport, runway 24L, 5,503 × 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- RYN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 17, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 28 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.