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20070511009309I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper J3C-65 · Magnolia, TX · May 11, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 11, 2007 · 19:25 local
Place
Magnolia, TX
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N32615
Reported as
Piper J3C65
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,586 total3,000 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N32615Registered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 5487 · Built 1940Airframe modelPiper J3C-65Engine modelContinental A&C65 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.

(-23) The private pilot said he was at cruise power, 2450 RPM, at 900 feet AGL when the engine "cut out as though the throttle were closed." This forced an off-airport hard landing in a hay field. Incidental damage to the left main landing gear cabane strut, which caused the landing gear to collapse, and incidental damage to the propeller. There appeared to be no other damage to the aircraft, and no reported injuries to the pilot or to his passenger. After the forced landing, the pilot said he drained approximately 14 gallons of fuel from the aircraft. An FAA maintenance inspector who examined the aircraft two weeks after recovery, said the carburetor had already been removed and disassembled when he arrived, however he found no fuel contamination, or water in the fuel system and he found no obvious defects in the engine. The pilot said he thought the reason for his engine failure might be because of water contamination in his fuel (he said he uses 5 gallon "jerry cans" for both storage and refueling of 100LL aviation galoline). The temp/dewpoint of 23/18 c (73/64 f) is also consistent with the possibility of icing at cruise power and the possibility of serious icing at glide power.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PRIVATE PILOT SAID HE WAS AT CRUISE POWER, 2450 RPM, AT 900 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE "CUT OUT AS THOUGH THE THROTTLE WERE CLOSED." THIS FORCED AN OFF-AIRPORT HARD LANDING IN A HAY FIELD. INCIDENTAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR CABANE STRUT, WHICH CAUSED THE LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE, AND INCIDENTAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND NO REPORTED INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR TO HIS PASSENGER. AFTER THE FORCED LANDING, THE PILOT SAID HE DRAINED APPROXIMATELY 14 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AN FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT TWO WEEKS AFTER RECOVERY, SAID THE CARBURETOR HAD ALREADY BEEN REMOVED AND DISASSEMBLED WHEN HE ARRIVED, HOWEVER HE FOUND NO FUEL CONTAMINATION, OR WATER IN THE FUEL SYSTEM AND HE FOUND NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS IN THE ENGINE. THE PILOT SAID HE THOUGHT THE REASON FOR HIS ENGINE FAILURE MIGHT BE BECAUSE OF WATER CONTAMINATION IN HIS FUEL (HE SAID HE USES 5 GALLON "JERRY CANS" FOR BOTH STORAGE AND REFUELING OF 100LL AVIATION GALOLINE). THE TEMP/DEWPOINT OF 23/18 C (73/64 F) IS ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ICING AT CRUISE POWER AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS ICING AT GLIDE POWER.