# Accident 19970804020779A: Piper J3C65, Danbury, CT, August 4, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 4, 1997, 16:05 local time
- Place: Danbury, CT
- Airport: Danbury Municipal
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.3715° N, 73.4822° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DANBURY MUNI (DXR), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3715&lon=-73.4822&mi=10
- Aircraft: N24565, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N24565-1998-12-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- Reported engine: CONT C858
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 4,350 total, 58 in this make and model, 70 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97FA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97FA159) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970804020779A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC97FA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97FA159), Aug 4, 1997: Piper J3C-65 (N24565), Danbury, CT, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The 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…

## Other reports on N24565 (1)

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

- [Accident 19761218038699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19761218038699A), Dec 18, 1976: Piper J3C65 (N24565), Marlboro, NY, Substantial damage. Water,dirt and rust found in fuel sys.6 gal aviation fuel 5 gal auto fuel,mixed. Ice near fuel drip

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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