# NTSB NYC95LA151: Piper J3C-65, N88631, North Benton, OH, July 3, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 3, 1995, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC) - Place: North Benton, OH - Coordinates: 40.980251, -81.010696 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9803&lon=-81.0107&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report February 27, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38995 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC95LA151 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38995/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC95LA151 ## Probable cause FUEL STARVATION FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER; AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, takeoff - initial climb - fluid,fuel - starvation (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Loss of control - in flight, emergency descent/landing - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing ## Analysis THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A LOCAL TEST FLIGHT. HE REPORTED THAT THE TEMPERATURE WAS 96 DEGREES (F), AND THAT HE BELIEVED THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN IN THE PRECEDING 6 MONTHS. WHILE ON INITIAL CLIMB, AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING AN EMERGENCY DESCENT, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING IN A NOSE DOWN, LEFT WING DOWN ATTITUDE BEFORE IT CRASHED. AN FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL STRAINER, BUT NOT IN THE CARBURETOR, AND THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS NOT BLOCKED. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN SERVICED WITH AUTOMOBILE FUEL AND HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO THE 'HOT SUN' FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE FAA INSPECTOR THOUGHT THAT THE POWER LOSS MIGHT HAVE BEEN FROM A VAPOR LOCK, BUT THIS WAS NOT VERIFIED. ## Factual narrative On July 3, 1995, at 1730 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N88631, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in North Benton, Ohio. The pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local test flight, which departed from a private airport in North Benton, about 1 minute earlier, and which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated that after becoming airborne, and at an altitude of 30 to 40 feet above the ground: ...I then noticed an unusual engine sound, immediately I looked [at]...the fuel [quantity] indicator, took notice that carb heat was off, and my magnetos were ...(in the both position). The aircraft was still producing lift, I was up to 75 to 80 feet altitude, the RPMs then decreased very rapidly, the engine was barely running, and the lift was gone. ...I knew...that there was no available landing area in front of the plane...Accordingly, I eased the nose over to the right via yawing method...in an effort to determine my proximity to a corn field. The corn field was unobtainable because a home with cars in the driveway was between the plane and the field. I then attempted to go left pushing the rudder around in an attempt to avoid the highway. I was at this point, falling out of control and this is the last thing that I remember. A witness reported that he saw the airplane descending in a nose down, left banked attitude and did not hear the engine. The airplane impacted a road, and skidded about 20 feet into a ditch. In a telephone interview, the FAA inspector reported that post-accident examination found fuel in the strainer, but not in the carburetor, and the fuel line was not blocked. According to the pilot, The airplane had been outside of the hangar for 2 hours prior to the accident flight, and the temperature was 96 degrees F. He also reported that he did not believe the airplane had flown in the preceding 6 months, and added new fuel in the tanks. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N88631](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N88631-2021-10-30), registration cancelled 2021-10-30, S/N 16260, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER J3C-65 - Registry model: [Piper J3C-65S](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65s) (registry code 7100526) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 16260 - Airframe hours: 1809 - Engines: CONTINENTAL C-65 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 91 - Operator: John D. Noling - Registered owner: Kathlene J. Satorius - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 10, 1994, 12 hours before - Departed: NONE, OH - Airport: NONE, North Benton ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 35; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: rear; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,000 total, 100 in this make and model, 900 as pilot in command, 75 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 97 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950703016179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950703016179A), Jul 3, 1995: Piper J3C65, North Benton, OH, Substantial damage. Lost power on takeoff. Crashed. Aircraft idle long period had stale auto gas aboard. Vapor lock suspected. (-23) appears on takeoff, aircraft engine lost power… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.