N98656

Substantial
None

PIPER J3C-65S/N: 18877

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, May 3, 2015
NTSB Number
CEN15CA223
Location
De Kalb, IL
Event ID
20150506X44421
Coordinates
41.933887, -88.705558
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 loss of positional awareness while taxiing, resulting in a collision with a parked and unoccupied airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's difficulty seeing over the nose of the airplane, his preoccupation with trying to control the airplane in the wind, and his minimal experience in the airplane.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
18877
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
J3C-65J3
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
2
FAA Model
J3C-65

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
RANKIN KEVIN J
Address
27300 JET RD
City
MARYVILLE
State / Zip Code
MO 64468-8309
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot, who was in the rear tandem seat of the tailwheel airplane, had just landed and was taxing to the fuel pumps to refuel. He did not see the parked Beech A36 over the nose of his airplane and collided with the right wing of N4678A. The pilot said the accident could have been prevented if he had followed the taxi line on the tarmac. He also blamed his "less than effective brakes" that didn't help as he tried to control the airplane in the wind. This caused his attention to be diverted and he lost sight of the surrounding obstructions. The pilot had logged a total of 82 flight hours, of which 13 hours were in the accident airplane.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN15CA223