- Date
- August 6, 1991, 07:50 local (11:50 UTC)
- Place
- Westerly, RI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N30837Piper J3-C65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910806032099A
- Case key
- 36981
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
Engine failure for an undetermined reason. A factor was the pilot misjudging the clearance over a fence during an attempted forced landing.
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 she experienced a partial power loss after takeoff while climbing through 300 feet AGL. She subsequently attempted to turn back to the airport, however, during the turn the airplane developed a descent rate and the pilot changed her intended forced landing area to a street rather than in front of the airport terminal. On short final, the airplane struck a chain link fence and control was lost. The airplane came to rest in front of the terminal. The reason for the power loss was not determined during the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30837
- Reported as
- Piper J3-C65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5137
- Airframe hours
- 6,188
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cub Club, Inc
- Registered owner
- Cub Club, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 19, 1990 · 96 hours before
- Airport
- WST · Westerly State, runway 32, 4,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 40 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.