# Incident 20260220000799I: Piper J-3C, Otisfield, ME, February 20, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 20, 2026, 17:00 local time
- Place: Otisfield, ME
- Airport: Oxford County Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.1574° N, 70.4813° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at OXFORD COUNTY RGNL (81B), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.1574&lon=-70.4813&mi=10
- Aircraft: N98294, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N98294) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J-3C (registry code 7100503, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j-3c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J-3C
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR C85-12F
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 603 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260220000799I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OXFORD AIRPORT HEADED SOUTH AND EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER OVER THE NORTH END OF THOMPSON LAKE. INITIAL APPLICATION OF CARBURETOR HEAT RESTORED POWER. WHILE TURNING BACK TO OXFORD AIRPORT, PARTIAL POWER WAS LOST AGAIN. THE PILOT CIRCLED BACK TO REMAIN OVER THE LAKE, UNTIL FULL POWER COULD BE RESTORED, AS ALTITUDE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO REACH THE AIRPORT WITH LIMITED POWER. THE PILOT CHOSE TO CONTINUE FLYING OVER THE LAKE, ANTICIPATING POWER RESTORATION TO GAIN ALTITUDE FOR A SAFE RETURN. POWER WAS NOT RESTORED BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE LAKE SURFACE, FLIPPING OVER DUE TO SNOW DEPTH AND CONDITIONS.

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.

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