N77EC

Substantial
None

PIPER J3F-65S/N: 7025

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, June 21, 2012
NTSB Number
ANC12CA081
Location
Beluga, AK
Event ID
20120802X45936
Coordinates
61.428890, -150.791381
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 delayed decision to go around, which resulted in a hard landing.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
7025
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1941
Model / ICAO
J3F-65J3
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
2
FAA Model
J3F-65

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
PEDERSON ROLAND
Address
72 DRY ASH CREEK RD
City
CIRCLE
State / Zip Code
MT 59215-7205
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot stated that he had been landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. On his third landing attempt, he elected to go around, but the airplane landed hard. During the landing, the left main landing gear broke, and the left wing contacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to the wing spar.

In his written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot stated that the airplane may not have been developing full power, but in a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge he said, "the engine was running good when the prop hit."

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC12CA081