Piper J3C-65 N42769
27 March 2021 · Justin, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 March 2021 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N42769 was involved in an accident near Justin, Texas, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Justin, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.0831, -97.2948
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65
- Registration
- N42769
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1945
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN21LA168
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was conducting a local flight. During the approach to landing, he applied carburetor heat on the downwind leg and reduced power on the base leg. When he added power, the engine did not respond; however, the propeller continued to windmill. Unable to glide to the private airfield, he selected a nearby wheatfield for the forced landing, but hit trees on the approach. The airplane came to rest in the trees. Examination of the airplane noted that the fuel tank contained fuel and both wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The 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) engine power settings. Thus, it is likely before the application of carburetor heat, carburetor ice formed and/or the application of carburetor heat was not sufficient to remove the icing which resulted in a loss of engine power during landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper J3C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 2021 | Piper J3C-65 | Adrian, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Oct 2021 | Piper J3C-65 | Garberville, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 2021 | Piper J3C | Kissimmee, Florida, United States | Palmer Thomas W | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Sep 2021 | Piper J3C | Mauricie, Canada | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Feb 2021 | Piper J3C | Panacea, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 2021 | Piper J3C-65 | Slaughter, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 2021 | Piper PA 46-350P | Port Aransas, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2021 | Cameron Balloons Z-90 | Celina, Texas, United States | RET Richard V | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2021 | Beechcraft B23 | Lamesa, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2021 | Boeing PT-17 | Winnie, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Mar 2021 | Cessna 207A | Laredo, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 2021 | Focke-Wulf FWP-149D | Killeen, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |