Summary
On June 19, 2010, a Piper/wally's Flyers INC J3C-65 (N25WF) was involved in an incident near Crystal, MN. All 2 people 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 directional control during the crosswind landing and the instructor pilot's delayed remedial action.
The pilot flying the airplane was in training so that he could get a tail wheel endorsement and a flight review since he was not current. The pilot and flight instructor did some air work in the practice area before returning to the airport to practice takeoffs and full stop landings. The pilot completed ten takeoffs and full stop landings with a right crosswind. They changed runways in order to practice a left crosswind landing. The flare and landing were normal. During the landing roll out, a gust of wind lifted the left wing and caused the airplane to weathervane and veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane struck an airport sign damaging the right horizontal stabilizer and right elevator.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA329. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N25WF.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the crosswind landing and the instructor pilot's delayed remedial action.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot flying the airplane was in training so that he could get a tail wheel endorsement and a flight review since he was not current. The pilot and flight instructor did some air work in the practice area before returning to the airport to practice takeoffs and full stop landings. The pilot completed ten takeoffs and full stop landings with a right crosswind. They changed runways in order to practice a left crosswind landing. The flare and landing were normal. During the landing roll out, a gust of wind lifted the left wing and caused the airplane to weathervane and veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane struck an airport sign damaging the right horizontal stabilizer and right elevator. The flight instructor stated, “I should have corrected the aircraft sooner and before my student got out of control.”
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA329