Pilot Debrief

PIPER J3C-65 near De Kalb, IL — 2015-05-03

Final reportCEN15CA223
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Date
2015-05-03
Location
De Kalb, IL, USA
Airport
KDKB
Aircraft
PIPER J3C-65
Registration
N98656
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of positional awareness while taxiing, resulting in a collision with a parked and unoccupied airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's difficulty seeing over the nose of the airplane, his preoccupation with trying to control the airplane in the wind, and his minimal experience in the airplane.

NTSB narrative

The pilot, who was in the rear tandem seat of the tailwheel airplane, had just landed and was taxing to the fuel pumps to refuel. He did not see the parked Beech A36 over the nose of his airplane and collided with the right wing of N4678A. The pilot said the accident could have been prevented if he had followed the taxi line on the tarmac. He also blamed his "less than effective brakes" that didn't help as he tried to control the airplane in the wind. This caused his attention to be diverted and he lost sight of the surrounding obstructions. The pilot had logged a total of 82 flight hours, of which 13 hours were in the accident airplane.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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