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20110705013859A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Egremont, MA · July 5, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 5, 2011 · 17:48 local
Place
Egremont, MA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N98550
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA11LA379
Reported as
Piper J3C-65
Reported engine
Continental C90-8F
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
28,000 total350 in this make and model180 in the last 90 days
N98550Registration cancelled Jan 10, 2020 · Piper J3C-65S/N 18763Airframe 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.

On July 5, 2011 at approximately 1748 local, the certificated airline transport pilot took off from runway 29 at the walter j. koladza airport (kgbr) in great barrington, Massachusetts. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. One passenger who is also a certificated airline transport pilot was onboard. According to statements made by the pilot and passenger, at approximately 200 to 300 feet above ground level (AGL) the engine RPM began to decrease from takeoff power. The pilot stated he checked the magneto's, applied carburetor heat and the engine RPM continued to decrease. The pilot stated he began looking for a forced landing area and was unable to maintain altitude. The aircraft continued to descend with decreasing RPM and the pilot had to turn to avoid two houses. The aircraft clipped two coniferous trees as it passed over a small barn. The aircraft touched down in the second home's backyard and the resulting ground roll caused the aircraft to enter the tree line at the western edge of the yard. The aircraft came to rest with both main landing gear down tubes bent and the right wing resting against a tree (approximately 8 inches in diameter). The right side of the fuselage was punctured, breaking a fuselage tube at a lower tube cluster, abeam the forward pilot's seat. The aircraft fabric was punctured by a tree leader that was cut by the propeller. The leader was approximately 6 inches in diameter. Both occupants exited the aircraft under their own will and were taken to the local hospital by the aircraft owner in a privately owned vehicle. Both occupants sustained minor injuries and were released from the hospital the same evening as the accident. On July 6, 2011 after the aircraft was transported back to the kgbr airport an inspection of the aircraft engine was conducted. A cold compression test of the engine indicated a significant difference in pressures between the cylinders. Cylinders 2 and 3 tested at 74/80 and 68/80 respectively. Cylinder 1 initially tested at 50/80 and climbed to 60/80 after reseating the exhaust valve. The exhaust valve was reseated by tapping on the rocker arm with a soft face mallet. Cylinder 4 tested at 42/80. The number 4 cylinder was leaking past the exhaust valve and out the exhaust system. Removal of the number 4 cylinder also revealed a scored intake valve stem with a corresponding scored valve guide. The intake valve was not free in the valve guide and had to be removed with a mallet and drift.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 5, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 1748 LOCAL, THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 29 AT THE WALTER J. KOLADZA AIRPORT (KGBR) IN GREAT BARRINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ONE PASSENGER WHO IS ALSO A CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS ONBOARD.ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS MADE BY THE PILOT AND PASSENGER, AT APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO DECREASE FROM TAKEOFF POWER. THE PILOT STATED HE CHECKED THE MAGNETO'S, APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE ENGINE RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE. THE PILOT STATED HE BEGAN LOOKING FOR A FORCED LANDING AREA AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND WITH DECREASING RPM AND THE PILOT HAD TO TURN TO AVOID TWO HOUSES. THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED TWO CONIFEROUS TREES AS IT PASSED OVER A SMALL BARN. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE SECOND HOME'S BACKYARD AND THE RESULTING GROUND ROLL CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER THE TREE LINE AT THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE YARD.THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITH BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR DOWN TUBES BENT AND THE RIGHT WING RESTING AGAINST A TREE (APPROXIMATELY 8 INCHES IN DIAMETER). THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WAS PUNCTURED, BREAKING A FUSELAGE TUBE AT A LOWER TUBE CLUSTER, ABEAM THE FORWARD PILOT'S SEAT. THE AIRCRAFT FABRIC WAS PUNCTURED BY A TREE LEADER THAT WAS CUT BY THE PROPELLER. THE LEADER WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER. BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNDER THEIR OWN WILL AND WERE TAKEN TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL BY THE AIRCRAFT OWNER IN A PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND WERE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL THE SAME EVENING AS THE ACCIDENT.ON JULY 6, 2011 AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE KGBR AIRPORT AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS CONDUCTED. A COLD COMPRESSION TEST OF THE ENGINE INDICATED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN PRESSURES BETWEEN THE CYLINDERS. CYLINDERS 2 AND 3 TESTED AT 74/80 AND 68/80 RESPECTIVELY. CYLINDER 1 INITIALLY TESTED AT 50/80 AND CLIMBED TO 60/80 AFTER RESEATING THE EXHAUST VALVE. THE EXHAUST VALVE WAS RESEATED BY TAPPING ON THE ROCKER ARM WITH A SOFT FACE MALLET. CYLINDER 4 TESTED AT 42/80. THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER WAS LEAKING PAST THE EXHAUST VALVE AND OUT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. REMOVAL OF THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER ALSO REVEALED A SCORED INTAKE VALVE STEM WITH A CORRESPONDING SCORED VALVE GUIDE. THE INTAKE VALVE WAS NOT FREE IN THE VALVE GUIDE AND HAD TO BE REMOVED WITH A MALLET AND DRIFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA11LA379Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportEgremont, MAA partial loss of engine power due to the No. 4 intake and exhaust valves becoming lodged in the valve guides, which resulted from a lack of use, improper engine storage preparation, and improper return to service from indefinite storage.Jul 5, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N98550 · 1

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

Accident 20170813013369ACruise/Level Flight · Salsbury, CTOn August 13, 2017 at approximately 16:40 local, aircraft N98550 departed kgbr from runway 29 climbing straight out to the west with a pilot and student. Approximately 20 miles south of kgbr at approximately 2800 feet MSL, on a westerly heading over the town…Aug 13, 2017 · Substantial damage