No fatalities

4 Jul 2015: PIPER J3C 65 — George A. Pertuit — Arcadia, FL

Arcadia, FL, United States

On 4 Jul 2015, a PIPER J3C 65 operated by George A. Pertuit was involved in an aviation accident near Arcadia, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain. 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

During the landing roll, an airplane veered right and departed the runway. The pilot overcorrected, causing the airplane to veer left, cross the runway, and impact a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and empennage. No pre-impact mechanical failures were reported.

Accident Description

The accident sequence began during the landing roll when the airplane unexpectedly veered to the right, causing it to depart the runway surface. In response, the pilot applied corrective control inputs. According to the pilot, he over-corrected for the runway excursion. This overcorrection resulted in the airplane veering abruptly to the left, crossing the runway, and striking a ditch located adjacent to the runway.

Pilot Statement

The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft Damage

The impact with the ditch caused substantial damage to the airplane. Both wings and the empennage were damaged in the collision.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained