N88025 – PIPER J3C – 2009-07-08 NTSB Accident Report

On July 08, 2009, a Piper J3C (N88025) was involved in an incident near South Charleston, WV. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain control during the attempted go-around.

The pilot was conducting takeoffs and landings while remaining in the airport traffic pattern. On the third attempted landing to runway 33, he was "blinded" by the setting sun during the landing flare. The airplane touched down on its left main landing gear and "bounced high." The pilot then attempted a go-around, but stalled and impacted trees to the side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the engine firewall. Neither the pilot nor a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, who examined the airplane after the accident, reported any aircraft malfunctions or mechanical anomalies.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA390. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N88025.