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ERA15CA143

2015-03-01 · Clermont, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport NONE

Current FAA registration · N717ML

Make / Model
PIPER J3C-65
Year of manufacture
1946 · 69 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19551101
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A9972C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to land the airplane within the desired touchdown zone, resulting in a long landing and collision with a fence.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he was landing his airplane at his residence, on a 5-acre grass field, at the conclusion of a local, sightseeing flight. He landed long and could not stop the airplane before it collided with a security fence at an adjacent residence. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot reported 4,000 hours total time; however had accrued only 15 hours in the accident airplane and received a tail wheel endorsement about 3 weeks prior to the accident. The pilot reported that he was landing his airplane at his residence, on a 5-acre grass field, at the conclusion of a local, sightseeing flight. He landed long and could not stop the airplane before it collided with a security fence at an adjacent residence. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot reported 4,000 hours total time; however had accrued only 15 hours in the accident airplane and received a tail wheel endorsement about 3 weeks prior to the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_ERA15CA143.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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