# Accident 19990916032299A: Piper J3, Brookville, OH, September 16, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 16, 1999, 08:46 local time - Place: Brookville, OH - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.8294° N, 84.4106° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8294&lon=-84.4106&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3223N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3223N-2003-02-19) (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 J3 - Reported engine: CONT A658 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 3,300 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99FA343](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA343) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990916032299A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1999, AT 0846 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J-3, N3223N, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH LEVEL TERRAIN AND A POST IMPACT FIRE APPROXIMATELY 0.5 MILES NORTH OF THE BROOKVILLE AIR-PARK AIRPORT, BROOKVILLE, OHIO. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE BROOKVILLE AIR-PARK AIRPORT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. DURING A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION, THE CONTROL SYSTEM CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FROM THE CONTROL SURFACES TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ACTUATORS. ALL CONTROL CABLES WERE INTACT. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER JACKSCREW INDICATED NOSE DOWN TRIM. THE FUSELAGE TAIL SECTION AFT OF THE COCKPIT WAS BENT IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES. THE POST IMPACT FIRE DAMAGED THE COCKPIT, INSTRUMENTS, AND INBOARD ENDS OF THE WING PANELS. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED AND VALVE TRAIN AND ACCESSORY GEAR CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED AND THE ENGINE EXHIBITED THUMB COMPRESSION ON CYLINDERS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. CYLIN DER NUMBER ONE WAS REMOVED. WATER WAS POURED INTO THE CYLINDER AND WAS OBSERVED TO BE LEAKING INTO THE EXHAUST PORT. THE EXHAUST VALVE WAS REMOVED AND NO ANOMALIES WERE DETECTED WITH RESPECT TO THE EXHAUST VALVE OR VALVE SEAT. THE LEFT MAGNETO PRODUCED A SPARK WHEN ROTATED BY HAND. (-23)PILOT DEPARTED BROOKVILLE AIRPARK (I62) ON A DAY VFR LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 0840 LOCAL TIME AND CRASHED INTO A SOYBEAN FIELD LOCATED JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED BY THE POST ACCIDENT FIRE AND THE PILOT WAS KILLED. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH LEVEL TERRAIN AND A POST IMPACT FIRE. A WITNESS SAID, 'WE SAW THE PLANE FACING NORTHEAST, THE PLANE APPEARED TO BE HOVERING, OR FACING INTO THE WIND AND HARDLY MOVING FORWARD. HE BANKED OUT OF THAT, FLEW A CIRCUIT AND DID THE SAME HOVERING MANEUVER AGAIN, THEN WENT INTO A SPIN. WE HEARD THE ENGINE CUT OFF, COME BACK ON, THEN GO OFF AGAIN. IT DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREES AND WE SAW SMOKE RISE ABOVE THE TREES.' THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE COCKPIT WAS BENT DOWNWARD APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES. CONTROL SYSTEM CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CAB LES WERE FOUND INTACT. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER JACKSCREW INDICATED NOSE DOWN TRIM. THE ENGINE WAS FOUND TO ROTATE FREELY AND ENGINE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE UPPER SET OF SPARK PLUGS WERE EXAMINED AND NO ANOMALIES WERE DETECTED. THUMB COMPRESSION WAS ESTABLISHED ON CYLINDERS 2,3 AND 4. CYLINDER NUMBER 1 WAS REMOVED AND NO ANOMALIES WERE DETECTED. THE LEFT MAGNETO WAS REMOVED AND WAS FOUND TO PRODUCE A SPARK WHEN ROTATED BY HAND. THE RIGHT MAGNETO DID NOT PRODUCE A SPARK AND HAD EVIDENCE OF HEAT DAMAGE. ## 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 CHI99FA343](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA343), Sep 16, 1999: Piper J-3 (N3223N), Brookville, OH, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the stall/spin encountered by the pilot. A factor was the intentional slow flight. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.