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19970804020779A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Danbury, CT · August 4, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 4, 1997 · 16:05 local
Place
Danbury, CT
Airport
Danbury Municipal
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N24565
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC97FA159
Reported as
Piper J3C65
Reported engine
Continental C858
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
4,350 total58 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days
N24565Registration cancelled Dec 9, 1998 · Piper J3C-65S/N 3261Airframe modelPiper J3C-65

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft engine began to sputter on climb out, turned left and nosedived into a grassy field. Burst into fames. (.4) the pilot had flown the airplane on several previous flights and stated that it had 'performed flawlessly.' The pilot and passenger flew a 1 hour flight and returned to the departure airport. The airplane was on the ground for about 30 minutes and had a radio antenna repaired. The engine was started by the pilot to check the radio on the ground, and then shut down. The pilot then restarted the engine with one pull of the propeller and taxied out for takeoff. After takeoff, about 200 feet above the ground, the engine lost power and the pilot began a steep 180 degrees turn. The airplane then stalled and spun into the ground, about 1,000 feet from departure end of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failures of the airframe or engine. The fuel selector valve, and control assembly in the cockpit, were found in the off position. When air was applied to one end of the fuel selector in the off position, a flow of air could be felt at the other end. A similar airplane was started with the fuel selector off, and the engine ran for 1 minute and 46 seconds before fuel starvation.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER ON CLIMB OUT, TURNED LEFT AND NOSEDIVED INTO A GRASSY FIELD. BURST INTO FAMES. (.4) THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE ON SEVERAL PREVIOUS FLIGHTS AND STATED THAT IT HAD 'PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY.' THE PILOT AND PASSENGER FLEW A 1 HOUR FLIGHT AND RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND HAD A RADIO ANTENNA REPAIRED. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED BY THE PILOT TO CHECK THE RADIO ON THE GROUND, AND THEN SHUT DOWN. THE PILOT THEN RESTARTED THE ENGINE WITH ONE PULL OF THE PROPELLER AND TAXIED OUT FOR TAKEOFF. AFTER TAKEOFF, ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT BEGAN A STEEP 180 DEGREES TURN. THE AIRPLANE THEN STALLED AND SPUN INTO THE GROUND, ABOUT 1,000 FEET FROM DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, AND CONTROL ASSEMBLY IN THE COCKPIT, WERE FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. WHEN AIR WAS APPLIED TO ONE END OF THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE OFF POSITION, A FLOW OF AIR COULD BE FELT AT THE OTHER END. A SIMILAR AIRPLANE WAS STARTED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR OFF, AND THE ENGINE RAN FOR 1 MINUTE AND 46 SECONDS BEFORE FUEL STARVATION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC97FA159Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportDanbury, CTThe pilot's failure to takeoff with the fuel selector in the full on position, which resulted in fuel starvation. Also causal was the pilot's improper in-flight decision to attempt a 180 degree turn back to the runway, which resulted in the inadvertent…Aug 4, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N24565 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19761218038699AForced/Precautionary Landing · Marlboro, NYWater,dirt and rust found in fuel sys.6 gal aviation fuel 5 gal auto fuel,mixed. Ice near fuel dripDec 18, 1976 · Substantial damage