PIPER J3F-65
Beluga, AK — June 21, 2012
Event Information
| Date | June 21, 2012 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ANC12CA081 |
| Event ID | 20120802X45936 |
| Location | Beluga, AK |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 61.42889, -150.79138 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | PIPER |
| Model | J3F-65 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's delayed decision to go around, which resulted in a hard landing.
Full Narrative
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."
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.