Summary
On March 02, 2011, a Piper J3C-65 (N23249) was involved in an accident near Maysvile, NC. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot-rated passenger’s loss of directional control during takeoff and the pilot’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with trees.
The pilot-in-command (PIC) of the tailwheel airplane stated that he was flying from his private airstrip, with a friend who was also a pilot. The friend did not have much experience in tailwheel airplanes and had not flown the airplane from the airstrip. The PIC was in the front seat and his friend was in the rear seat. The PIC completed two takeoffs and landings uneventfully, and then let his friend perform the third takeoff.. During the takeoff roll, as the tailwheel lifted, the airplane yawed to the left. The PIC then took the controls and attempted to correct the yaw; however, the airplane traveled off the left side of the runway and impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA11CA174. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N23249.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot-rated passenger’s loss of directional control during takeoff and the pilot’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with trees.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot-in-command (PIC) of the tailwheel airplane stated that he was flying from his private airstrip, with a friend who was also a pilot. The friend did not have much experience in tailwheel airplanes and had not flown the airplane from the airstrip. The PIC was in the front seat and his friend was in the rear seat. The PIC completed two takeoffs and landings uneventfully, and then let his friend perform the third takeoff.. During the takeoff roll, as the tailwheel lifted, the airplane yawed to the left. The PIC then took the controls and attempted to correct the yaw; however, the airplane traveled off the left side of the runway and impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The PIC reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane and added that the wind was light and variable at the time. The PIC stated that he should have taken control of the airplane sooner.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA11CA174