Piper J3C-65 N7068H
23 August 2004 · Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 23 August 2004 at about 14:00 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N7068H was involved in an accident near Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nearest airport
- Brokenstraw (P15)
- Coordinates
- 41.8325, -79.3614
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65
- Registration
- N7068H
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Pittsfield → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC04LA195
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Improper installation of the tailwheel assembly and the inadequate annual inspection which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot preflighted the airplane, boarded, and then departed runway 27 for left closed traffic. He noticed no problems with the airplane during taxi, takeoff, approach, or landing until the tail wheel touched down, and he lost directional control. The airplane departed the runway, struck a hangar and came to rest; the pilot secured the fuel selector, and exited without injury. Examination of the wreckage revealed numerous airworthy issues, to include the tailwheel assembly bolt being installed upside down, and binding of the tailwheel. The airplane received an annual inspection about 6 flight hours prior to the accident, on June 28, 2004. According to Federal Aviation Regulations, the mechanic that performed the annual inspection was required to inspect the tailwheel assembly prior to returning the airplane to service.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper J3C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 2004 | Piper J3C-65 | Monte Vista, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 2004 | Piper J3C-65 | Louise, Texas, United States | Walter Irving Lansing | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2004 | Piper J3C | Palmer, Alaska, United States | Ronald E. Hills | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 2003 | Piper J3C-65 | Tocsin, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 May 2003 | Piper J3C-65 | Wilmot, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 2003 | Piper J3C-65 | Pahokee, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Mar 2004 | Cessna 172P | Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 2004 | Cameron Balloons Z-90 | Dover, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Mar 2004 | Cessna 182T | Perkasie, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 May 2004 | Masak SCIMITAR | Alexandria, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Aug 2004 | Cessna 172P | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States | Century Flight Academy | No injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 2004 | Piper PA-28-140 | Lehighton, Pennsylvania, United States | Ace Pilot Training | No injuries | - |