OpenAirDocs.org

20210719006939I

Incident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper J3C-65 · Ocean City, NJ · July 19, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 19, 2021 · 12:37 local
Place
Ocean City, NJ
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
1C8J
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N88610
Reported as
Piper J3C-65
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
479 total
N88610Registered now · Piper J3C-65S/N 16238 · Built 1946Airframe modelPiper J3C-65Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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 departed paramount air airport (JY04) to conduct banner tow operations and experienced partial engine power loss in cruise flight.

Initiated emergency release of banner to reduce drag.

Pilot executed immediate climb and flew direct to Ocean City municipal (26N) for emergency landing.

As further engine power loss developed, pilot pumped the throttle regaining intermittent power for a short time until total power loss occurred.

Pilot executed emergency checklist and restart procedures without success.

Engine failure occurred at 900 ft AGL on right base leg north of route 52 causeway bridge and pilot glided aircraft from right base to final leg landing and coming to rest on the west bound lane of the bridge.

No damage occurred to aircraft or injury to pilot or other persons.

Upon investigation, inspector found carburetor heat air box had separated at attaching weld point from vertical inlet tube allowing air box to hang free from engine by remaining connections. Due to installation of inappropriate modification of fuel mixture controls, carburetor fuel mixture lever was pulled to full lean as a result of air box separation, causing engine fuel starvation.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED PARAMOUNT AIR AIRPORT (JY04) TO CONDUCT BANNER TOW OPERATIONS AND EXPERIENCED PARTIAL ENGINE POWER LOSS IN CRUISE FLIGHT.

INITIATED EMERGENCY RELEASE OF BANNER TO REDUCE DRAG.

PILOT EXECUTED IMMEDIATE CLIMB AND FLEW DIRECT TO OCEAN CITY MUNICIPAL (26N) FOR EMERGENCY LANDING.

AS FURTHER ENGINE POWER LOSS DEVELOPED, PILOT PUMPED THE THROTTLE REGAINING INTERMITTENT POWER FOR A SHORT TIME UNTIL TOTAL POWER LOSS OCCURRED.

PILOT EXECUTED EMERGENCY CHECKLIST AND RESTART PROCEDURES WITHOUT SUCCESS.

ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 900 FT AGL ON RIGHT BASE LEG NORTH OF ROUTE 52 CAUSEWAY BRIDGE AND PILOT GLIDED AIRCRAFT FROM RIGHT BASE TO FINAL LEG LANDING AND COMING TO REST ON THE WEST BOUND LANE OF THE BRIDGE.

NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO AIRCRAFT OR INJURY TO PILOT OR OTHER PERSONS.

UPON INVESTIGATION, INSPECTOR FOUND CARBURETOR HEAT AIR BOX HAD SEPARATED AT ATTACHING WELD POINT FROM VERTICAL INLET TUBE ALLOWING AIR BOX TO HANG FREE FROM ENGINE BY REMAINING CONNECTIONS. DUE TO INSTALLATION OF INAPPROPRIATE MODIFICATION OF FUEL MIXTURE CONTROLS, CARBURETOR FUEL MIXTURE LEVER WAS PULLED TO FULL LEAN AS A RESULT OF AIR BOX SEPARATION, CAUSING ENGINE FUEL STARVATION.