Piper J3C N7009H

Summary

On 27 October 2019 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper J3C registered N7009H was involved in an accident near Grand Bay, Alabama, United States. 2 people were 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

27 October 2019 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Bay, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

GJ's (PVT)

Coordinates

30.5689, -88.3772

Aircraft

Piper J3C

Registration

N7009H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Bay → Grand Bay

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA023

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor ice that formed during an extended ground delay, and the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat before initiating the takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before departing on a local flight, the pilot idled the airplane for about 5 minutes to let the engine warm up. During the takeoff, about 40 feet above ground level, the airplane "seemed to quit climbing" and the engine rpm was decreasing. He pushed the throttle full forward, verified the carburetor heat was off, and the fuel shutoff valve was on. Realizing that the airplane would not clear trees and powerlines ahead, he aborted the takeoff and the airplane touched down about 100 ft before the end of the runway. The airplane continued off the runway and through a wooden fence. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide (idle) power settings. Thus, it is likely that during the ground delay, a period during which the engine would typically be operating at low power, carburetor ice formed, and subsequently resulted in a loss of engine power during the initial climb. Had the pilot used carburetor heat before the takeoff, he might have eliminated the ice.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.