37.6870° N, 121.7598° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs: center of Livermore, CA, within about 6 miles.Open in the map
Date
May 11, 2014 · 15:25 local
Place
Livermore, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N31786
Reported as
Piper J3F-65
Reported engine
Continental C85-8F
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
5,356 total366 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
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.
Pilot of aircraft was at cruise altitude above Livermore, CA. And had engine RPM failure due to #4 cylinder exhaust valve failure and subsequent cylinder head cracked. Pilot performed an emergency landing in a clear field. No damage or injury.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT OF AIRCRAFT WAS AT CRUISE ALTITUDE ABOVE LIVERMORE, CA. AND HAD ENGINE RPM FAILURE DUE TO #4 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED. PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CLEAR FIELD. NO DAMAGE OR INJURY.