- Date
- May 29, 2006, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Old Town, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1401VPiper J3C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Portland
- FAA report
- 20060529016369A
- Case key
- 63771
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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with water.
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
The pilot stated that shortly after taking off from a river in a float equipped Piper J3C, he was informed by radio that he had departed without his phone. The pilot returned to land, and during the landing, the airplane touched down on the right float, and the right wingtip subsequently impacted the water. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that after takeoff, he stalled the airplane while in a turn and then "crashed in the lake." He also stated that the "density altitude got the best of me." The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that shortly after taking off from a river in a float equipped Piper J3C, he was informed by radio that he had departed without his phone. The pilot returned to land, and during the landing, the airplane touched down on the right float, and the right wingtip subsequently impacted the water. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that after takeoff, he stalled the airplane while in a turn and then "crashed in the lake." He also stated that the "density altitude got the best of me." The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1401V
- Reported as
- Piper J3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10771
- Airframe hours
- 2,859
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12F, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2005
- Departed
- KOLD · Old Town, ME
- Destination
- Penobscot River, ME
- Airport
- KOLD · Dewitt Field, Seaplane Base, runway 17W, 8,400 × 100 ft, water
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2005
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 685 total · 295 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KBGR, 11 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.
Other investigations on N1401V · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.