# Accident 19980509008609A: Piper J3C65, Mesa, AZ, May 9, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 9, 1998, 10:45 local time
- Place: Mesa, AZ
- Airport: Falcon Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.3404° N, 110.8903° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3404&lon=-110.8903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7447H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7447H) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- Reported engine: CONT C8512
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,200 total, 417 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA181) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980509008609A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 LAX98LA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA181), May 9, 1998: Piper J3C-65 (N7447H), Mesa, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure 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…

## Other reports on N7447H (1)

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

- [Incident 20110801015309I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110801015309I), Aug 1, 2011: Piper J3C-65 (N7447H), Erie, CO, Minor damage. On 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…

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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