Piper-Harris J3C-65 accident near Hartford, Wisconsin, April 21, 2022
On April 21, 2022 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1938 Piper-Harris J3C-65, registered N9721Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Hartford, Wisconsin (Hartford Municipal Aiport airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor lost control of the airplane while taxiing in gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2022 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hartford, Wisconsin · Hartford Municipal Aiport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper-Harris J3C-65, built 1938
- Registration
- N9721Y · registry record · serial 2451
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the airplane was slowed to taxi speed after a full stop landing. While the flight instructor taxied toward the ramp during gusty wind conditions, the left wing raised up and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and both wing struts sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 699 hours in all; 197 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 625 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 8, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 344 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 14, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,927 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 3, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HXF Hartford WI at 4:45 pm
- Destination: HXF Hartford WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,401 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 22 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from KETB, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KETB 211755Z AUTO 27022G35KT 230V290 10SM CLR 16/00 A3011 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN22LA182.