Piper J3L-65 accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, March 30, 2013
On March 30, 2013 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper J3L-65, registered N35252, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Daytona Beach, Florida (Spruce Creek 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, resulting in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to land with a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2013 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Spruce Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3L-65 · all J3L-65s on the register
- Registration
- N35252 · registry record · serial 6246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was participating in a spot landing competition at the airport. After the airplane’s main landing gear touched down on runway 5, the airplane began to drift slightly to the right. He applied left rudder and brake to realign the airplane with the runway and to counteract a “quartering tailwind.” He also advanced the throttle to assist in centering the airplane with the runway, but the engine “stuttered.” He retracted the throttle and continued to apply left rudder and aileron; however, the airplane departed the right side of the runway and impacted a hangar, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. Video taken by a spectator of the landing competition corroborates the pilot’s description of the accident. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An airport located about 5 miles east of the accident site recorded wind from 200 degrees at 8 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Contributed to outcome
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 22, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,822 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 2012; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A-65A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7FL6 Daytona Beach FL at 5:55 pm
- Destination: 7FL6 Daytona Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 4,000 ft by 176 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from EVB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N35252 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.