Piper J3C N70192

Summary

On 8 September 2018 at about 15:16 local time, a Piper J3C registered N70192 was involved in an accident near Jackson, California, United States. 2 people were 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

8 September 2018 at 15:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Jackson, California, United States

Nearest airport

Westover Field/Amador County (JAQ)

Coordinates

38.3767, -120.7939

Aircraft

Piper J3C

Registration

N70192

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson → Jackson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18LA257

Nobody was injured.

A loss of directional control during takeoff and initial climb for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that all preflight inspections and control checks were normal; however, after liftoff, the left wing dipped, and the airplane pulled hard to the left. The pilot input corrective control actions, but the airplane continued to veer left. Realizing that the airplane would not be able to climb over approaching trees, the pilot reduced engine power and aimed the airplane between two trees in order to cushion the impact. The airplane came to rest upright about 450 ft east of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the flight control system, although full aileron travel could not be confirmed due to impact damage. The cockpit/cabin floor was plywood and contained multiple cutouts for the control system, all of which were properly sized to permit full travel of the respective controls; however, none of the control openings were equipped with flexible boots or were otherwise shielded to prevent foreign objects from either falling under the floor or becoming caught between the control and the cutout perimeter and thereby restricting or preventing control travel. A screwdriver and a bungee cord were found on the cockpit floor after the accident, but whether they contributed to the accident could not be determined. The shape and location of the rear seat rudder pedals, in combination with the anchor attach point locations of the front seat lap belts, was such that when fastened, either of the front seat lap belt halves could inadvertently capture or trap a rudder pedal and thereby restrict its travel. The reason for the pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during the takeoff and initial climb could not be determined based on the available information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.