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20170916020589A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Hanover, PA · September 16, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 16, 2017 · 16:49 local
Place
Hanover, PA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N38365
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA328
Reported as
Piper J3C-65
Reported engine
Continental C90-8F
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
230 total195 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N38365Registered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 6973 · Built 1941Airframe 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 September 16, 2017 at approximately 2049Z a Piper J-3 cub (N38365) crashed into the driveway of 239 mckenzie rd in Hanover twp, PA. The FAA regional operations center (roc) received the call and was given the following information. The roc reported ?aircraft engine quit and hit tree. Came down in private property. 2 people on board. 2 serious injuries. No ground injuries. Damage unknown. No ATC services provided. Reported by beaver county 911?. The weather at the time of the crash, reported at beaver county, PA was reporting kbvi METAR 2050Z 00000KT 10SM SCT038 BKN090 26/16 A3016.

Review of the accident site indicates the aircraft struck the tree tops at the residence and continued to strike the trees the length of the driveway. Approximately 250? Where the aircraft came to rest nose down on the concrete driveway.

Upon visual inspection of the aircraft we verified the registration number (N38365). The propeller has one blade severely bent, while the other blade is straight with a few scuff marks. Both blade tips are straight (not bent forward, or backwards). The propeller spinner was smashed flat onto the prop. The bulkhead fuel tank was ruptured, fuel was located in the fuel sump and the fuel sump screen was inspected and found to be clean. The fuel line was removed from the carburetor, and no fuel was found when removing the fuel line. The fuel in-line screen was removed and found to be clean. The carburetor was disassembled and residual fuel (small amount) was found in the fuel bowl. There was no evidence of water in the fuel. The spark plugs were removed and inspected. Spark plugs #2 and #4 bottom were wet. The other 6 spark plugs were clean. Both magnetos were removed and tested and found to have spark. The engine case was broken at the top left engine mount. The engine mount was bent on impact.

Review of the aircraft, all control cables have continuity. Found wings removed and tail removed due to transporting the aircraft from the crash site (on a driveway). Found left wing forward and aft spar broken. The spars did not show any signs of wear, age or rot to the wooden spar. Damage was created at the point of impact. Wing spars appear to have broken at the strut attach point. Right main landing gear was torn off. The fuselage sustained serious damage. Aircraft tach time 1306.28 / total time 3201.73 hrs.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 2049Z A PIPER J-3 CUB (N38365) CRASHED INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF 239 MCKENZIE RD IN HANOVER TWP, PA. THE FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC) RECEIVED THE CALL AND WAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION. THE ROC REPORTED ?AIRCRAFT ENGINE QUIT AND HIT TREE. CAME DOWN IN PRIVATE PROPERTY. 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD. 2 SERIOUS INJURIES. NO GROUND INJURIES. DAMAGE UNKNOWN. NO ATC SERVICES PROVIDED. REPORTED BY BEAVER COUNTY 911?. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, REPORTED AT BEAVER COUNTY, PA WAS REPORTING KBVI METAR 2050Z 00000KT 10SM SCT038 BKN090 26/16 A3016.

REVIEW OF THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREE TOPS AT THE RESIDENCE AND CONTINUED TO STRIKE THE TREES THE LENGTH OF THE DRIVEWAY. APPROXIMATELY 250? WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN ON THE CONCRETE DRIVEWAY.

UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WE VERIFIED THE REGISTRATION NUMBER (N38365). THE PROPELLER HAS ONE BLADE SEVERELY BENT, WHILE THE OTHER BLADE IS STRAIGHT WITH A FEW SCUFF MARKS. BOTH BLADE TIPS ARE STRAIGHT (NOT BENT FORWARD, OR BACKWARDS). THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS SMASHED FLAT ONTO THE PROP. THE BULKHEAD FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED, FUEL WAS LOCATED IN THE FUEL SUMP AND THE FUEL SUMP SCREEN WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE CLEAN. THE FUEL LINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE CARBURETOR, AND NO FUEL WAS FOUND WHEN REMOVING THE FUEL LINE. THE FUEL IN-LINE SCREEN WAS REMOVED AND FOUND TO BE CLEAN. THE CARBURETOR WAS DISASSEMBLED AND RESIDUAL FUEL (SMALL AMOUNT) WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL BOWL. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF WATER IN THE FUEL. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND INSPECTED. SPARK PLUGS #2 AND #4 BOTTOM WERE WET. THE OTHER 6 SPARK PLUGS WERE CLEAN. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE REMOVED AND TESTED AND FOUND TO HAVE SPARK. THE ENGINE CASE WAS BROKEN AT THE TOP LEFT ENGINE MOUNT. THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS BENT ON IMPACT.

REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT, ALL CONTROL CABLES HAVE CONTINUITY. FOUND WINGS REMOVED AND TAIL REMOVED DUE TO TRANSPORTING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE CRASH SITE (ON A DRIVEWAY). FOUND LEFT WING FORWARD AND AFT SPAR BROKEN. THE SPARS DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF WEAR, AGE OR ROT TO THE WOODEN SPAR. DAMAGE WAS CREATED AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. WING SPARS APPEAR TO HAVE BROKEN AT THE STRUT ATTACH POINT. RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS TORN OFF. THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SERIOUS DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT TACH TIME 1306.28 / TOTAL TIME 3201.73 HRS.

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 ERA17LA328Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHanover Township, PAThe pilot's failure to maintain roll control while maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain.Sep 16, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N38365 · 1

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

Accident 19750126001389AForced/Precautionary Landing · Santos, TXPlt contd slip into surface during emerg ldg in small fld. Gr failed.Jan 26, 1975 · Substantial damage