- Date
- June 28, 2008, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rosedale, MS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N42156Piper J3C-65
- Defining event
- Emergency descent: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 74831
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 failure of the pilots to maintain airspeed following a reported partial loss of engine power.
Findings · 2
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
According to the owner of the airplane, two certificated flight instructors took the airplane out for the purpose of getting one of the pilots a tail wheel endorsement. The owner stated that while they were on approach to the private grass strip the engine lost power due to carburetor ice, they applied carburetor heat but inadvertently stalled the airplane which “mushed” and impacted the ground substantially damaging the airframe, and separating both main landing gear. He stated that neither pilot was injured. Neither the FAA inspector nor the NTSB Investigator-in-charge were able to speak with the pilot's directly. However, the FAA Inspector was able to speak to their attorney. According to the inspector neither pilot would admit who was the pilot in command at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the owner of the airplane, two certificated flight instructors took the airplane out for the purpose of getting one of the pilots a tail-wheel endorsement. The owner stated that while they were on approach to the private grass strip the engine lost power due to carburetor ice. They applied carburetor heat, but inadvertently stalled the airplane which “mushed” and impacted the ground substantially damaging the airframe, and separating both main landing gear. He stated that neither pilot's were injured. Neither the FAA inspector nor the NTSB Investigator were able to speak with the pilot's directly. However, the FAA Inspector was able to speak to their attorney. According to the inspector neither pilot's would admit who was the pilot in command at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42156
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14388
- Airframe hours
- 860
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Dry Bayou Equipment Inc
- Registered owner
- Dry Bayou Equipment Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 3, 2007
- Departed
- NONE · Rosedale, MS
- Destination
- NONE · Rosedale, MS
- Airport
- NONE · Private Grass Strip
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 2,025 total · 0 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- HKS, 10 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 15, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.