No fatalities

26 Sep 2019: Piper J3C 65 — Lander Skymaster Llc — Lander, WY

Lander, WY, United States

On 26 Sep 2019, a Piper J3C 65 operated by Lander Skymaster Llc was involved in an aviation accident near Lander, WY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain lateral control during takeoff with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in the right wing striking the ground, a runway excursion, impact with a fence, and a subsequent noseover. 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 takeoff in ground effect, a tailwheel airplane encountered a left gust, causing the right wing to strike the ground. The aircraft drifted, hit a fence, and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage.

Accident Details

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during takeoff while in ground effect, the airplane encountered a gust of wind from the left. As a result, the right wing struck the ground. The airplane then drifted to the right, causing the main landing gear to impact a fence that was parallel to the runway. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over.

Aircraft and Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings of the airplane. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, around the time of the accident, the wind was from 280 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 28 knots. The airplane was departing from runway 04.

Contributing factors

Lateral/bank control — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operation