CHI95LA127

Factual narrative

On April 15, 1995, at 1600 central daylight time, a Piper J-3 Cub, N6673H, registered to Belvidere Aviation Inc., of Popular Grove, Illinois, was substantially damaged while taxiing after landing at Belvidere Ltd Airport, Popular Grove, Illinois. Neither the certified flight instructor nor the commercial certificated student pilot reported injuries. The local 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without flight plan. The instructor stated that after the student pilot made a three point landing on runway 9, she began to turn the airplane to back taxi to the end of the runway to takeoff again by advancing the throttle and applying the left brake. As the airplane turned perpendicular to the runway, the instructor stated that the student had some difficultly "...getting the brake so I depressed it for her until she got it. I then released it." The throttle was still forward, and the airplane's tail began to lift off of the ground. The instructor pulled the throttle to the idle position, but he stated, "it appeared the wind got under the tail and continued to raise it." The propeller struck the ground and the airplane became inverted. AFTER LANDING, THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED STUDENT BEGAN TO TURN THE AIRPLANE TO BACK TAXI TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY TO TAKEOFF AGAIN BY ADVANCING THE THROTTLE AND APPLYING THE LEFT BRAKE. AS THE AIRPLANE TURNED PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY, THE INSTRUCTOR ASSISTED THE STUDENT WITH DEPRESSING THE BRAKE BECAUSE SHE WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY. THE THROTTLE WAS FORWARD AND AS THE INSTRUCTOR RELEASED THE PRESSURE OFF THE BRAKE, THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL BEGAN TO LIFT OFF THE GROUND. THE INSTRUCTOR PULLED THE THROTTLE TO THE IDLE POSITION, BUT THE TAIL CONTINUED TO RISE. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE WIND GOT UNDER THE TAIL AND CONTINUED TO MAKE IT RISE. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE BECAME INVERTED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12