Piper J3 N42559
13 June 1998 · Midland, Texas, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 13 June 1998 at about 19:50 local time, a Piper J3 registered N42559 was involved in an accident near Midland, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Midland, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Skywest Airport (7TX6)
- Coordinates
- 31.8497, -102.0097
- Aircraft
- Piper J3
- Registration
- N42559
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Midland → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW98LA265
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The inadvertent ground loop during the landing roll. A factor was the sudden windshift.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot lost control of the tailwheel equipped airplane when the wind shifted to a gusty tailwind during the landing roll. Witness observed the airplane execute a 'nice wheel landing on the centerline' of runway 16. After all 3 wheels were on the ground, the airplane started drifting to the left of the centerline. The left main wheel went off the pavement and as the right wing started to come up, the pilot advanced the engine to full power. The witness stated that he looked back at the windsock, he noticed that the winds had suddenly shifted from a quartering headwind, to a gusting quartering tailwind. The airplane cleared the airport's perimeter fence; however, the left wing of the airplane impacted a power line pole. The winds at the Midland International Airport, located 9 nautical miles to the northwest were reported from 230 degrees at 11 knots. In the enclosed NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot reported that the winds were from the southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper J3 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Feb 1998 | Piper J3 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 2000 | Piper J3-C65 | St. Petersburg, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 1996 | Piper J3 | Aiken, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Mar 1995 | Piper J3 | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | Dean Heimermann | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2001 | Piper J3 | Livermore Falls, Maine, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 2001 | Piper J3-C65 | West Fargo, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jan 1998 | Beechcraft V35 | Seguin, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 1998 | Poling KELEHER LARK KR1B | Georgetown, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jan 1998 | Cessna 140A | Justin, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1998 | Bell 206L-3 | Reklaw, Texas, United States | U.s. Forest Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Aug 1998 | Jodel F11-3 | Beeville, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Aug 1998 | Piper PA-28-235 | Mineola, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |