# Accident 19990619022019A: Piper J3C65, Elko, NV, June 19, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 19, 1999, 14:00 local time
- Place: Elko, NV
- Airport: Elko Regional Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.9504° N, 115.7909° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9504&lon=-115.7909&mi=10
- Aircraft: N26842, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N26842-2014-12-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- Reported engine: CONT A658
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,360 total, 10 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA222](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA222) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990619022019A

## Narrative

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

ON JUNE 19, 1999, AT 1346 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J3C-65, N26842, IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE ELKO, NEVADA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  THE COMMERCIAL PILOT/OWNER, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AVIATION SAFETY TECHNICIAN, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY GONE THROUGH AN ANNUAL INSPECTION.  HE REPORTED THAT ON THIS FLIGHT HE HAD CONDUCTED AN ENGINE RUN-UP WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS NORMAL; HOWEVER, ON THE INITIAL CLIMB HE NOTED A LOSS OF POWER AND A DECAY IN AIRSPEED.  HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE.  THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE "HAD RUN OUT OF RUNWAY," AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD.  HE STATED THAT HE TURNED BACK TO THE RUNWAY, AND AS HE WAS MAKING THE CROSSWIND TURN TO THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE LEFT WING DIPPED DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT FELL 50 FEET TO THE GROUND.                                                                   (.4)THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED. PRIOR TO THE INITIAL TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXI TESTED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED EASILY AND RAN SMOOTHLY AT LOWER RPM SETTINGS.  AN ENGINE RUN-UP WAS CONDUCTED, WHICH INCLUDED A MAGNETO CHECK, WITH NO ANOMALIES EXPERIENCED.  DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT PRODUCE FULL POWER.  HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF, AND NOTED THAT THE RPM DID NOT GO ABOVE 1,600.  HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY TO LAND.  AS HE MADE THE CROSSWIND TO DOWNWIND TURN, THE LEFT WING STALLED.  THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN AND FELL ABOUT 50 FEET TO THE GROUND.  THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED, AND FOUND TO HAVE WEAK COMPRESSION IN TWO CYLINDERS.  THE EXAMINATION FURTHER REVEALED THAT THERE WERE LEAKS COMING FROM THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES OF BOTH CYLINDERS.  NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED.                                      (-23)PILOT INITIATED TAKEOFF ROLL AND NEVER DEVELOPED FULL POWER.  PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TAKEOFF AND LOST FURTHER POWER AFTER AIRBORNE. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, STALLED THE AIRCRAFT, AND CRASHED.

## 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 LAX99LA222](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA222), Jun 19, 1999: Piper J3C-65 (N26842), Elko, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to reject the takeoff after noting that the engine would not produce takeoff power.

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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