Piper J3C-65 N28087

Summary

On 6 June 1995 at about 17:40 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N28087 was involved in an accident near Medford, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 1995 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Medford, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

42.3309, -122.7900

Aircraft

Piper J3C-65

Registration

N28087

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

White City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA95LA115

Nobody was injured.

AN UNRELIABLE FUEL QUANTITY GAGE AND AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT. THE TALL VEGETATION IN THE LANDING AREA WAS A FACTOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF WITH THE NOSE FUEL TANK FULL, HOWEVER, AFTER 15 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE FUEL FLOAT INDICATOR READ ONE-THIRD OF A TANK. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE INDICATOR READ EMPTY. THE PILOT EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL IN TALL ALFALFA, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, IT WAS FOUND THAT A WIRE WAS BENT APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES ABOVE THE FLOAT AND WAS CREATING A DRAG THROUGH THE CAP. THIS BENT WIRE CREATED AN ERRONEOUS FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION WHEN THE FUEL QUANTITY WAS ACTUALLY LESS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.