- Date
- July 4, 1998, 11:35 local (15:35 UTC)
- Place
- Zellwood, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N42760Piper J3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980704015819A
- Case key
- 4005
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons which led to a forced landing and nose over. A factor affecting the severity of the damage was the soft terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he was conducting touch and go landings at the Bob White Field. Just prior to turning crosswind on the fourth departure, the engine lost power. The pilot applied carburetor heat and full throttle, but the engine continued to lose power until it quit. A forced landing was made in a farm field. The wheels sank into the soft ground, and the airplane nosed over. After the accident, the engine and fuel were tested. The engine started, ran at a low revolutions per minute (RPM), and was able to produce maximum RPM. The magnetos were checked while the engine was operating, with no discrepancies noted. According to the FAA inspector, there was no problem with the operation of the engine during the test run. There was fuel in the airplane, approximately 3/4 of a tank. It was drained and examined, with no water or sediment found.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 1998, about 1135 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N42760, nosed over during a forced landing near Zellwood, Florida. The airplane was operated by the registered owner under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the local, personal flight. There were no injuries to the private pilot, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was the Bob White Field Airport, Zellwood, Florida, about 1000 on the same day.
According to the pilot, he was conducting touch and go landings at the Bob White Field. Just prior to turning crosswind on the fourth departure, the engine lost power. The pilot applied carburetor heat and full throttle, but the engine continued to lose power until it quit. A forced landing was made in a farm field. The wheels sank into the soft ground, and the airplane nosed over.
After the accident, the engine and fuel were tested. The engine started, ran at a low revolutions per minute (RPM), and was able to produce maximum RPM. The magnetos were checked while the engine was operating, with no discrepancies noted. According to the FAA inspector, there was no problem with the operation of the engine during the test run. There was fuel in the airplane, approximately 3/4 of a tank. It was drained and examined, with no water or sediment found.
The Carburetor Icing Probability Curve was reviewed, and the conditions were on the outside edge of the visible icing curve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42760
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15069
- Airframe hours
- 3,662
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David J. Dixon Trust
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- X61
- Airport
- X61 · Bob White Field, runway 9, 3,300 × 150 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 831 total · 159 in this make and model · 793 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.