- Date
- July 12, 2009, 19:39 local (Jul 13, 2009, 00:39 UTC)
- Place
- Porter, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N70455Piper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090712011859A
- Case key
- 74257
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 partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing resulting in the pilot's inability to clear the wires.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot noticed a significant loss of engine power while maneuvering on a local area flight. The pilot began looking for a suitable place to land and noticed a sandbar along a river. As he approached the river he applied carburetor heat and the engine power began to recover. At this time the airplane was at tree top level along the river when the pilot noticed wires crossing the river. The pilot was unable to reestablish a climb and avoid the wires. The airplane struck the wires and impacted inverted on the sandbar. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to carburetor icing at cruise and glide power settings with a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius and dew point of 23 degrees Celsius. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector on scene, there were no pre-impact anomalies noted.
Factual narrative
The pilot noticed a significant loss of engine power while maneuvering on a local area flight. The pilot began looking for a suitable place to land and noticed a sandbar along a river. As he approached the river he applied carburetor heat and the engine power began to recover. At this time the airplane was at tree top level along the river when the pilot noticed wires crossing the river. The pilot was unable reestablish a climb and avoid the wires. The airplane struck the wires and impacted inverted on the sandbar. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to carburetor icing at cruise and glide power settings with a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius and dew point of 23 degrees Celsius. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector on scene, there were no pre-impact anomalies noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70455
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17453
- Airframe hours
- 4,406
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hill Craig
- Registered owner
- Hill Craig
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 2009
- Departed
- 9X1 · Porter, TX
- Destination
- Porter, TX
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
- 44
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2009
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 9,873 total · 984 in this make and model · 8,969 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KIAH, 9 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 22, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 735 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.