N30503

Substantial
None

PIPER J3 S/N: 4880

Accident Details

Date
Saturday, April 3, 1993
NTSB Number
LAX93LA162
Location
BUCKEYE, AZ
Event ID
20001211X12161
Coordinates
33.380397, -112.550666
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOK-OUT AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE WIRES. LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL (AIRPORT) AREA WAS A FACTOR.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N30503
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
4880
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1940
Model / ICAO
J3 J3
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
DE JONG ARIE H
Address
20000 N RALSTON RD
Status
Deregistered
City
MARICOPA
State / Zip Code
AZ 85239-2739
Country
United States

Analysis

On April 3, 1993, at about 1645 hours mountain standard time, a Piper J3, N30503, collided with some wires while on final approach to a privately owned dirt airstrip about 7 miles west of Buckeye, Arizona. The noncertificated student pilot was conducting a visual flight rules local solo instructional flight. The airplane, operated by the student pilot, sustained substantial damage. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the student pilot's privately owned airstrip at Rainbow Valley, Arizona, at about 1600 hours.

The student pilot reported in a telephone interview conducted on April l5, 1993, that the accident flight was the first time he had attempted to land at the privately owned dirt airstrip. While on final approach to the south, he failed to see the unmarked wires that traverse the final approach course from the east to the west.

The student pilot reiterated the sequence of events stated during the telephone interview in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He added, however, that the airplane's vertical stabilizer struck the wires and that there was a post-crash fire.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX93LA162