Piper J3L N35226

Summary

On 13 January 2018 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper J3L registered N35226 was involved in an accident near Astoria, Oregon, 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

13 January 2018 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Astoria, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Karpens (OR23)

Coordinates

46.1614, -123.6403

Aircraft

Piper J3L

Registration

N35226

Category

Airplane

Year built

1944

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Astoria → Astoria

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA108

Nobody was injured.

The control stick handgrip separation from the control stick resulting in the airplane pitching forward, which resulted in hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was flying the tailwheel-equipped airplane from the rear seat. During the landing flare, with the control stick in an aft position, the control stick's rubber handgrip slipped off, allowing the stick to move forward. Before he could recover the stick, the airplane pitched down, and landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, the forward lower fuselage and the longerons in the tail section.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.