NTSB ATL93LA125 — 1993-07-07 · ATHENS, Georgia, United States

Current FAA registration · N70894

Make / Model: PIPER J3C-65
Year of manufacture: 1946 · 47 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19560710
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A975F6

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N70894 Piper J3 None

Probable cause & findings

THE DUAL STUDENT'S IMPROPER APPLICATION OF WHEEL BRAKES PRIOR TO LOWERING THE TAIL WHEEL AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE CFI.

Factual narrative

On July 7, 1993, at about 1445 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3, N70894 was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain during a landing attempt at Athens, Georgia. Neither the flight instructor, nor the private student were injured in the accident. The aircraft was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by Georgia Flight Academy of Athens, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the local, instructional flight. The flight departed Athens at about 1400. The flight instructor reported that during a wheel landing, the aircraft veered off to the right and nosed over. He stated that he thought that the student applied the aircraft brakes prior to lowering the tail wheel. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT DURING A WHEELS LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF TO THE RIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO BRAKE AND NOSED OVER. HE STATED THAT THE DUAL STUDENT WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND HAD CONTROL OF THE BRAKES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1993_ATL93LA125.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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