Piper PA 12 N3985M

Summary

On 27 September 2019 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA 12 registered N3985M was involved in an accident near Williams, California, 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.

Date

27 September 2019 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Williams, California, United States

Coordinates

39.0947, -122.0978

Aircraft

Piper PA 12

Registration

N3985M

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

Colusa → Willows

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA586

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's over application of power during recovery from a runway excursion, which resulted in a ground loop and nose over.

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, after landing on a gravel road, he looked to the right and unintentionally steered the airplane to the right into a small ditch.  He applied power to force the airplane out of the ditch back onto the road, however, the right main landing gear "locked up due to the weeds wrapping around it".  The airplane ground looped and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.