No fatalities

3 Oct 2017: PIPER J3C — Yakima, WA

Yakima, WA, United States

On 3 Oct 2017, a PIPER J3C was involved in an aviation accident near Yakima, WA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. 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 flight instructor demonstrating a short field takeoff in a tailwheel airplane experienced a left wing drop and subsequent ground loop, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the empennage.

Accident Details

The accident involved a tailwheel-equipped airplane operated by a flight instructor who was demonstrating a short field takeoff to an observing student. During the takeoff roll, as the airplane approached rotation speed, the left wing unexpectedly dropped and struck the ground. The airplane then entered a ground loop.

Damage

The ground loop caused substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The extent of damage necessitated significant repairs.

Instructor Report

The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The instructor did not identify any specific causal factors for the wing drop or ground loop.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedInstructor/check pilot