Piper J3C N30683

Summary

On 22 May 2019 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper J3C registered N30683 was involved in an accident near Louisa, Virginia, 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

22 May 2019 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Louisa, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Louisa County/Freeman Field (LKU)

Coordinates

38.0100, -77.9672

Aircraft

Piper J3C

Registration

N30683

Category

Airplane

Year built

1940

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Louisa → Louisa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA276

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and the landing gear collapsing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during landing and while decelerating, the airplane veered left. He applied full right rudder, but there was "little to no change in the yaw" with the control stick full aft. He added that the tailwheel had "unlocked" when it contacted the runway because the airplane yawed left. He added engine power to increase airflow for better rudder effectiveness, and the airplane began to straighten out, but it then exited the runway to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.