Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB CEN12FA616
PIPER J3C-65 — Kingsland, TX
| Date | September 8, 2012 |
| Location | Kingsland, TX |
| Aircraft | PIPER J3C-65 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Loss of engine power (partial) |
| Pilot age | 53 |
| Pilot total time | 254 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 126 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine (reciprocating)-(general)-Damaged/degraded - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - F
- Aircraft-Aircraft structures-(general)-(general)-Not used/operated - F
- Aircraft-Aircraft handling/service-Maintenance/inspections-Scheduled maint checks-Not inspected - F
What happened
Witnesses indicated that the airplane was climbing slowly in a nose-up attitude during the initial climb. They noted a slow forward speed and that the engine did not sound like it was operating at full power. The airplane had climbed to an altitude of about 125 feet above ground level and then suddenly rolled to the left and descended in a nearly vertical attitude and impacted terrain on the left side of the runway. The airplane was equipped with a 4-point shoulder harness installation; however, the pilot was using only a lap belt restraint system. Records showed that the airplane had been flown only once in the past year and that the required annual inspection was overdue.
A postaccident examination of the engine showed that corrosion and oil glazing were present and the intake valve on the No. 1 cylinder was stuck in the open position. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the No. 1 cylinder intake valve was stuck open and resulted in a partial loss of engine power.