Piper J3C-65 N6872H

Summary

On 1 May 2024 at about 20:40 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N6872H was involved in an accident near Apex, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 May 2024 at 20:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Apex, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Cox Airport (NC81)

Coordinates

35.7518, -78.8597

Aircraft

Piper J3C-65

Registration

N6872H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA213

1 person had minor injuries.

The loss of directional control during the landing roll for reasons that could not be determined, due to impact damage sustained to the brake system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that after conducting maneuvers in the area for about 30 minutes, he returned to the airport to demonstrate the first landing of the flight. He reported that upon touchdown on the grass runway, the brakes “were not effective” and the airplane veered off the runway to the left into a utility trailer that was parked near the runway. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The private pilot receiving instruction, seated in the rear seat, reported that the approach and landing appeared normal, and the flight instructor completed a 3-point landing. He recalled that the flight instructor was unable to get the airplane to stop, and he believed the brakes were not effective given they had “plenty of runway to stop.” A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and brake system. The left wheel was rotated, and the left brake pedal when actuated, was observed to stop the wheel movement. The right brake pedal was bound and no longer fully functional due to impact related damage. Its actuator plunger was manipulated via a screwdriver, and right wheel movement was stopped, but not with the same amount of force as compared to the functional left brake pedal. The brake system’s fluid was normal. Neither pilot reported any issues with the brakes prior to takeoff. The effectiveness of the brake system could not be determined, due to the damage sustained to the right brake pedal during the impact with the trailer.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.