Piper J-3C N24743

Summary

On 26 May 1998 at about 01:05 local time, a Piper J-3C registered N24743, operated by Littlefield Aeroplane Corp., was involved in an accident near Morris, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 May 1998 at 01:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Morris, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.3605, -88.4208

Aircraft

Piper J-3C

Registration

N24743

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Littlefield Aeroplane Corp.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98FA172

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during low altitude flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported seeing an airplane flying at low altitudes, 100 to 300 feet agl, prior to the accident. One witness reported the airplane was flying like a cropduster. The airplane completed two circles between 200 to 300 feet agl over a farmstead where family members of the pilot were having a gathering. The airplane proceeded west. It was observed climbing up and then entered a right bank. It then impacted the ground in a right wing down, nose low attitude in a wheat field. The wreckage path was about 50 feet long on a 030 magnetic heading. The propeller had separated from the propeller shaft. A witness described the maneuver as similar to a wingover, but the other turns observed were described as normal banked turns. Neither the pilot-in command of the flight, nor the manipulator of the controls at the time of the accident could be determined. The flight controls and engine exhibited continuity.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.