- Date
- October 26, 1991, 16:48 local (20:48 UTC)
- Place
- Manchester, VT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N70548Piper J3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911026048109A
- Case key
- 37100
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 inadequate aircraft preflight. A factor was the pilot's lack of flight experience.
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 was flying at cruise altitude when he noticed smoke coming from the engine. According to the pilot's statement, he made a precautionary landing and found the oil cap was 'loose'. He said he tightened the cap and checked the oil. Just after taking off again at about 200 feet the engine started to smoke again. He attempted a forced landing in a field, but was too low to make the intended landing site and struck trees during the descent. The FAA examined the wreckage and found the oil cap open. The FAA reinstalled the cap, found no discrepancies with the seal, and said the cap '..had a positive lock'. The pilot had a total of 85 flight hours at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70548
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17557
- Airframe hours
- 3,903
- Engine
- Continental C-90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard J. Bouey
- Registered owner
- Richard J. Bouey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 13, 1991 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- BO1 · Granville, NY
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
- 20
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 85 total · 34 in this make and model · 40 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.