No fatalities

3 May 2014: PIPER J3C 65 65 — Lewis Arenzana — Connersville, IN

Connersville, IN, United States

On 3 May 2014, a PIPER J3C 65 65 operated by Lewis Arenzana was involved in an aviation accident near Connersville, IN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inability to control the airplane while taxiing due to a strong crosswind condition. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot landed at an en route airport to refuel due to stronger headwinds than forecast. While taxiing, the upwind wing lifted and the airplane flipped inverted, substantially damaging the rudder and left front wing strut.

Accident Overview

A pilot flying a single-engine airplane made an unscheduled landing at an airport to obtain fuel after encountering a stronger headwind than forecast for the route. The landing to the north was normal. After landing, the pilot turned west off the runway onto the first taxiway, then turned north onto a taxiway that paralleled the runway. As the airplane taxied beyond a row of trees to the west, the upwind wing lifted and the airplane flipped inverted. The rudder and left front wing strut were substantially damaged.

Pilot's Report

The pilot reported that he was using proper crosswind taxi technique but was unable to keep the wing down. He stated that the local wind conditions at the time of the accident were similar to those recorded at an airport located 37 miles away.

Wind Conditions

The wind recorded at an airport 37 miles from the accident site was from 290 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The pilot reported that the local wind condition at the time of the accident was similar.

Contributing factors

Ability to respond/compensatePilot