19971224039469A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Stoil, CA · December 24, 1997

Date: December 24, 1997 · 11:50 local
Place: Stoil, CA
Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N91915
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA054
Reported as: Piper J3C65
Reported engine: Continental C858
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 280 total170 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days

N91915Registration cancelled Sep 1, 1998 · Piper J3C-65S/N 16330 Airframe 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.

The pilot desired to become an agricultural pilot and was practicing low passes over a field. The pilot failed to see three power transmission cables and the airplane struck a 300 foot span of number 8 gauge copper conductor suspended about 45 to 50 feet above the ground with its propeller. An in flight fire erupted in the cockpit area. The fire was located at a break in fuel line from the fuel selector valve to the engine. The pilot suffered second burns to his face, arms, and left leg and landed the airplane hard, collapseing one of the main landing gear. He egressed the airplane unaided while the fire spread destroying the airplane. There was no evidence of mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane before the collision with power transmission cables.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT DESIRED TO BECOME AN AGRICULTURAL PILOT AND WAS PRACTICING LOW PASSES OVER A FIELD. THE PILOT FAILED TO SEE THREE POWER TRANSMISSION CABLES AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A 300 FOOT SPAN OF NUMBER 8 GAUGE COPPER CONDUCTOR SUSPENDED ABOUT 45 TO 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WITH ITS PROPELLER. AN IN FLIGHT FIRE ERUPTED IN THE COCKPIT AREA. THE FIRE WAS LOCATED AT A BREAK IN FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE ENGINE. THE PILOT SUFFERED SECOND BURNS TO HIS FACE, ARMS, AND LEFT LEG AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE HARD, COLLAPSEING ONE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. HE EGRESSED THE AIRPLANE UNAIDED WHILE THE FIRE SPREAD DESTROYING THE AIRPLANE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE COLLISION WITH POWER TRANSMISSION CABLES.

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 LAX98LA054Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportStoil, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance and his inadequate visual outlook.. Factors were a severed fuel line which resulted in an in-flight fire, which diminished the pilot's ability to land the airplane with smoke and fire in the cockpit.Dec 24, 1997 · Destroyed