Piper PA 12 N3506M

Summary

On 11 May 2016 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper PA 12 registered N3506M was involved in an accident near Simsbury, Connecticut, United States. 2 people were 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.

Date

11 May 2016 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Simsbury, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Simsbury (4B9)

Coordinates

41.9183, -72.7764

Aircraft

Piper PA 12

Registration

N3506M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1947

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Simsbury → Simsbury

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA232

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point and the airplane's subsequent impact with a fence during an attempted aborted landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that his approach to landing was faster than normal. He further reported that after the airplane bounced on touchdown he elected to abort the landing, but reported that it was too late because the airplane was at the end of the runway and impacted a fence, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 4 miles to the east, revealed that, about 20 minutes after the accident the wind was 180 degrees true at 11 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear. The airplane landed on runway 03. The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Advisory Circular (AC) 91-79A. This AC discusses the effect of a tailwind on landing distance and states in part: The effect of a tailwind on landing distance is significant and is a factor in determining the landing distance required. Given the airplane will land at a particular airspeed, independent of the wind, the principal effect of a tailwind on operational landing distance is the change in the ground speed at which the airplane touches down.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.