Piper J3C-65 N30616

Summary

On 17 March 2001 at about 23:27 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N30616 was involved in an accident near Seattle, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 March 2001 at 23:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Seattle, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

King County Intl/Boeing Field (BFI)

Coordinates

47.5397, -122.3096

Aircraft

Piper J3C-65

Registration

N30616

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seattle → Seattle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA01LA065

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to visually detect the barricade, resulting in a collision with the barricade. Factors included the barricade, and inadequate information on the ATIS broadcast.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he listened to the airport's Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) prior to landing. After landing and turning onto a parallel taxiway, the aircraft ran over a 10-foot-long horizontal barricade, which was "sitting in [the] taxiway" approximately perpendicular to the taxiway centerline. The pilot, who was seated in the rear seat of the tailwheel-equipped aircraft (as required for solo flight for the type) at the time, reported that he was doing "S" turns for taxi visibility, but that the barricade was obstructed from view by the nose of the aircraft. Upon striking the barricade, the aircraft's left main gear collapsed and the left wing dropped, striking another barricade. The pilot stated that the presence and location of the barricade were not announced on ATIS. On-site investigation disclosed that the barricade extended to within two to three feet of the yellow taxiway centerline. Review of a re-recording of ATIS disclosed that ATIS announced closure of several taxiways, but did not indicate that barricades were in place on the parallel taxiway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.