19980509008609A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Mesa, AZ · May 9, 1998

Date: May 9, 1998 · 10:45 local
Place: Mesa, AZ
Airport: Falcon Field Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7447H
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA181
Reported as: Piper J3C65
Reported engine: Continental C8512
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,200 total417 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days

N7447HRegistered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 20712 · Built 1946 Airframe modelPiper J3C-65 Engine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

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.

Acft engine quit and acft landed in farm field. Mesa, AZ. (.4)the airplane, which the pilot owned and operated, experienced a total loss of engine power while descendeing for a practice forced landing. The pilot indicated that no adequate landing site was available within gliding distance, so he landed in the rough terrain of a dry wash shearing off both main landing gear. The airplane was recovered and examined. A clamp that had been welded onto a bracket which was secured to the engine case was found broken. The clamp/bracket assembly supported the throttle cable. When the weld broke subsequent movement of the cockpit throttle control had no effect upon the engine's RPM. The pilot described the weld as having been 'bad,' and it was not a Piper manufactured component. (-23) throttle cable bracket fractured at weld causing loss of throttle operation. Aircraft made a forced off-field landing, incurring substantial damage ot the left wing and top aft fuselage.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT ENGINE QUIT AND ACFT LANDED IN FARM FIELD. MESA, AZ. (.4)THE AIRPLANE, WHICH THE PILOT OWNED AND OPERATED, EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE DESCENDEING FOR A PRACTICE FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT NO ADEQUATE LANDING SITE WAS AVAILABLE WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE, SO HE LANDED IN THE ROUGH TERRAIN OF A DRY WASH SHEARING OFF BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED AND EXAMINED. A CLAMP THAT HAD BEEN WELDED ONTO A BRACKET WHICH WAS SECURED TO THE ENGINE CASE WAS FOUND BROKEN. THE CLAMP/BRACKET ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED THE THROTTLE CABLE. WHEN THE WELD BROKE SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENT OF THE COCKPIT THROTTLE CONTROL HAD NO EFFECT UPON THE ENGINE'S RPM. THE PILOT DESCRIBED THE WELD AS HAVING BEEN 'BAD,' AND IT WAS NOT A PIPER MANUFACTURED COMPONENT. (-23) THROTTLE CABLE BRACKET FRACTURED AT WELD CAUSING LOSS OF THROTTLE OPERATION. AIRCRAFT MADE A FORCED OFF-FIELD LANDING, INCURRING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OT THE LEFT WING AND TOP AFT FUSELAGE.

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 LAX98LA181Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMesa, AZFailure of a weld in the engine's throttle control support assembly due to inadequate maintenance which was the ultimate responsibility of the owner-pilot. Contributing factors were the presence of rough terrain, the lack of a suitable forced landing site,…May 9, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7447H · 1

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

Incident 20110801015309ILanding: Rollout · Erie, COOn 08/01/2011 at 1145 MDT, N7447H, a Piper J3C-65 airplane, lost control upon landing at Erie airport (eik). There was one person on board , the were no injuries. The aircraft received minor damage. The weather at the time was VMC.Aug 1, 2011 · Minor damage