No fatalities

4 Sep 2019: Piper J3C 65 — Winfield, AL

Winfield, AL, United States

On 4 Sep 2019, a Piper J3C 65 was involved in an aviation accident near Winfield, AL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain proper wind correction input during taxi in a gusting tailwind, which resulted in a nose over. 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 tailwheel-equipped airplane nosed over while taxiing for takeoff after a tailwind gust lifted the tail, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing, strut, and rudder. The pilot reported no mechanical failures.

Accident Details

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane was taxiing for takeoff when a gust of tailwind lifted the tail, causing the airplane to nose over. The accident occurred while the pilot was back taxiing to the south. The pilot reported that the wind was light and variable at the time, with gusts up to 15 knots. No preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft Damage

Substantial damage was sustained to the right wing, right wing lift strut, and the rudder. The extent of damage required significant repairs to the aircraft.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that the tailwind gust during taxi was the direct cause of the nose-over event. The pilot also noted that the wind conditions were light and variable, with occasional stronger gusts. No other factors were mentioned in the report.

Contributing factors

Causes

Crosswind correction — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on equipment