Pilot Debrief

PIPER J3C near Hanover Township, PA — 2017-09-16

Final reportERA17LA328
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Date
2017-09-16
Location
Hanover Township, PA, USA
Aircraft
PIPER J3C
Registration
N38365
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain roll control while maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a local, personal flight. He reported that, about 1,000 ft above ground level and as he began turning the airplane left, it rolled faster than he expected and then "rolled over" into an inverted attitude. The pilot regained control of the airplane, and when the airplane was straight and level, he saw treetops. He tried to pull up, but the airplane impacted trees and then terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot stated, and a postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed, that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the flight controls that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided the left turn that led to loss of control.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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