Piper J3C accident near Kissimmee, Florida, November 30, 2021
On November 30, 2021 at about 6:37 pm local time, a 1946 Piper J3C, registered N656CJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kissimmee, Florida (Kissimmee Gateway airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadvertent application of brakes during touchdown, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2021 · about 6:37 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · Kissimmee Gateway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C 65, built 1946 · all J3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N656CJ · registry record · serial 15762
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was receiving instruction for his tailwheel endorsement. While the flight instructor and pilot were landing the tandem-seat, tailwheel-equipped airplane, the airplane bounced. The flight instructor communicated to the pilot “my controls” and blocked him (using the rear seat control stick) from pushing the front seat control stick forward, so that the flight instructor could transition from a bounced wheel landing into a three-point landing. The flight instructor stated, the pilot did transfer control to the flight instructor but didn’t take his feet off the brakes. The pilot stated he was unfamiliar with using heel brakes and applied to much pressure to the brakes, “upon touch down after the bounce we nosed forward and flipped onto our back,” resulting in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact 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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Incorrect use/operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 363 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 249 as pilot in command; 67 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 28, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,261 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 153 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 941 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 6, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2021; 140 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 175 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from ISM
Weather report (METAR): METAR KISM 300856Z AUTO 33003KT 10SM CLR 09/08 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP203 6//// T00890078 53001 PNO $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.
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 ERA22LA094.