# Accident 20110705013859A: Piper J3C-65, Egremont, MA, July 5, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 5, 2011, 17:48 local time - Place: Egremont, MA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 42.1858° N, 73.4025° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.1858&lon=-73.4025&mi=10 - Aircraft: N98550, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N98550-2020-01-10) (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 J3C-65 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR C90-8F - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 28,000 total, 350 in this make and model, 180 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11LA379](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA379) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110705013859A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 ERA11LA379](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA379), Jul 5, 2011: Piper J3C-65 (N98550), Egremont, MA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A 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… ## Other reports on N98550 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20170813013369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170813013369A), Aug 13, 2017: Piper J3C-65 (N98550), Salsbury, CT, Substantial damage. On 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.… 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.