Piper J3L accident near Kyle, South Dakota, May 8, 2010
On May 8, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper J3L, registered N24502, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kyle, South Dakota (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper touchdown on a soft landing area, resulting in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kyle, South Dakota · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3L · all J3Ls on the register
- Registration
- N24502 · registry record · serial 3221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane said that all three wheels were about to touch the ground during landing when he realized that the "field was softer than expected." He pulled the stick back to the stop and "was not able to apply throttle quick enough to keep tail pressure down." The airplane then nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot's report did not list any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane reference the accident flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 247 hours in all; 247 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 247 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,601 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A 75-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Kyle SD at 10:40 pm
- Destination: PVT Kyle SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from RAP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10CA244.