Piper PA-12 N3969B

Summary

On 4 February 2023 at about 22:05 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N3969B was involved in an accident near Porterville, Utah, 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.

Date

4 February 2023 at 22:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Porterville, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Field of Dreams (15UT)

Coordinates

40.9721, -111.7044

Aircraft

Piper PA-12

Registration

N3969B

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

Ogden → Ogden

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA103

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from snow covered terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, the intention of the flight was to sight see and look at some local airstrips to determine their conditions. He noticed fresh tracks in the snow at an airstrip he was familiar with and decided to do a low pass to inspect further. On the third low approach he misjudged the tailwheel airplane’s height above the snow and the main wheels contacted and dug in. The pilot attempted a go-around however the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing struts, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.