Probable cause
The pilot's delayed decision to go around, which resulted in a hard landing.
NTSB analysis
The pilot stated that he had been landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. On his third landing attempt, he elected to go around, but the airplane landed hard. During the landing, the left main landing gear broke and the left wing contacted the ground, sustaining substantial damage to the wing spar. In a written statement, the pilot stated that the airplane may not have been developing full power, but in a telephone conversation he said that, "the engine was running good when the prop hit."
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC12CA081 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 21, 2012
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Beluga, Alaska
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper J3F-65
- N-number
- N77EC
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.