What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Aircraft, circling a friends house, suddenly lost power and had to make an emergency landing in a nearby field. On landing, the aircraft struck the ground with such force that the main landing gear separarted from the fuselage. The rest of the aircraft remained intact and in an upright position. The pilot received back injuries and was hospitalized. The passenger was treated for minor injuries and released. (.19)on April 29, 2001, about 1831 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3-C65, N78521, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Clarksburg, west Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot was seriously injured and the passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, the flight originated at the benedum airport (ckb), Clarksburg, west Virginia. Before departure, the pilot performed a preflight inspection, set the fuel selector on the right fuel tank, and noted both fuel tanks were full of fuel. He departed the airport and flew to a local farm where he performed several takeoffs and landings, giving rides t o different passengers. The pilot stated that he flew for about 2 hours on the right fuel tank until the right fuel tank gauge displayed 1/4 tank. He then switched to the left fuel tank, and started a timer to monitor his fuel consumption. The pilot conducted several more rides with passengers. The pilot reported that he picked up the last passenger, noted the time on the timer as 51 minutes, and flew to another farm where he intended to land. About 10 minutes later, he arrived at the farm and observed that the left fuel tank gauge read 1/4 tank. He performed a low approach to observe the field, and then initiated a go-around. During the climb, the pilot initiated a right turn to set up for a landing at the field, and the "engine quit." He leveled the wings, and performed a forced landing in the field beneath him. The pilot reported 320 hours of total flight experience, of which 30 hours were in the accident airplane. Examination of the airplane by a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage, the engine cowling and the landing gear. Additionally, the left fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel and the right fue l tank contained about 6 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector was in the "off" position, and the throttle was in the "closed" position. The engine has been retained for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)AIRCRAFT, CIRCLING A FRIENDS HOUSE, SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A NEARBY FIELD. ON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARARTED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED INTACT AND IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE PILOT RECEIVED BACK INJURIES AND WAS HOSPITALIZED. THE PASSENGER WAS TREATED FOR MINOR INJURIES AND RELEASED. (.19)ON APRIL 29, 2001, ABOUT 1831 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J3-C65, N78521, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE BENEDUM AIRPORT (CKB), CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. BEFORE DEPARTURE, THE PILOT PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, SET THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, AND NOTED BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE FULL OF FUEL. HE DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AND FLEW TO A LOCAL FARM WHERE HE PERFORMED SEVERAL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, GIVING RIDES T O DIFFERENT PASSENGERS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FLEW FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK UNTIL THE RIGHT FUEL TANK GAUGE DISPLAYED 1/4 TANK. HE THEN SWITCHED TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK, AND STARTED A TIMER TO MONITOR HIS FUEL CONSUMPTION. THE PILOT CONDUCTED SEVERAL MORE RIDES WITH PASSENGERS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE PICKED UP THE LAST PASSENGER, NOTED THE TIME ON THE TIMER AS 51 MINUTES, AND FLEW TO ANOTHER FARM WHERE HE INTENDED TO LAND. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, HE ARRIVED AT THE FARM AND OBSERVED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK GAUGE READ 1/4 TANK. HE PERFORMED A LOW APPROACH TO OBSERVE THE FIELD, AND THEN INITIATED A GO-AROUND. DURING THE CLIMB, THE PILOT INITIATED A RIGHT TURN TO SET UP FOR A LANDING AT THE FIELD, AND THE "ENGINE QUIT." HE LEVELED THE WINGS, AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN THE FIELD BENEATH HIM. THE PILOT REPORTED 320 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, OF WHICH 30 HOURS WERE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE, THE ENGINE COWLING AND THE LANDING GEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THE LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED ABOUT 1 GALLON OF FUEL AND THE RIGHT FUE L TANK CONTAINED ABOUT 6 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE "OFF" POSITION, AND THE THROTTLE WAS IN THE "CLOSED" POSITION. THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.