Piper J3C-65 N87965

Summary

On 12 February 2024 at about 16:50 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N87965 was involved in an accident near South Lyon, Michigan, 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

12 February 2024 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

South Lyon, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Private (PVT)

Coordinates

42.4329, -83.6933

Aircraft

Piper J3C-65

Registration

N87965

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

Canton → South Lyon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA113

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during the landing approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while on final approach to a private airstrip the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. Before he could take corrective action, the airplane’s left wing impacted trees adjacent to the airstrip. The airplane came to rest suspended nose down in the trees with substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and the left wing and its wing strut. A postaccident review of available weather data indicated the reported surface wind was calm-to-3 knots and of variable direction at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.