NTSB Factual Report

On April 28, 2001, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3-C65, N26096, was substantially damaged during landing at Lee Airport (ANP), Annapolis, Maryland. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The purpose of the flight was to take a participant in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program up on an observation flight.

In a telephone conversation, the pilot said that this was his fourth landing of the day, and the approach and flare to runway 30 were normal. However, when the wheels were about to touch the ground, a gust of wind blew the right wing straight up, and the left wheel and wing tip contacted the ground. The airplane turned 180 degrees around and came to rest upright to the left of the runway with the engine still running. He taxied back to the ramp and parked.

The pilot reported that the weather was "bumpy," but on final approach the wind was blowing straight down the runway about 11 knots. He said there was no need to do a crosswind landing, and his wings stayed level into the landing flare.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed an on-scene examination. According to the inspector, the left wing was bent up about 30 degrees outboard of the left wing strut.

The pilot reported a total of 1,010 flight hours, of which 650 hours were in tail wheel aircraft.

The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions.

The winds reported at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), Baltimore, Maryland, were from 040 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 17 knots.

NTSB Probable Cause

pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A factor was the crosswind.