Piper J3C N70803

Summary

On 23 June 2019 at about 22:45 local time, a Piper J3C registered N70803 was involved in an accident near Vine Grove, Kentucky, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 2019 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Vine Grove, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Vine Grove (70KY)

Coordinates

37.8158, -85.9647

Aircraft

Piper J3C

Registration

N70803

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Vine Grove → Vine Grove

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA184

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper visual lookout during the approach, which resulted in inadequate clearance from a tree.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and a passenger departed in a tailwheel airplane on a local flight with the pilot flying the airplane from the rear seat. The pilot reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions through final approach to the airport, which was the pilot’s last recollection. The passenger did not recall the engine making any unusual sounds or any anomalies in the airplane's maneuverability during the flight. During the approach, the airplane had a nose-up pitch attitude, and a witness heard and observed the airplane flying low on the approach path to the airport. The passenger saw a tree and shouted to the pilot, then the airplane hit the tree, flew through it, and crashed. Postaccident examination of the airplane and the airplane's engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the temperature and dew point about the time of the accident revealed that the airplane was operated in the moderate carburetor icing range at cruise power or serious carburetor icing range at descent power. However, based on the passenger's and witnesses' observations of no anomalies with the engine and that the airplane was flying low, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain sufficient visual lookout during the approach and impacted the tree.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.