Piper J3C-65 N70906
14 June 2010 · Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 June 2010 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N70906 was involved in an accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Hot Springs Memorial Field (KHOT)
- Coordinates
- 34.4781, -93.0961
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65
- Registration
- N70906
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hot Springs → Hot Springs
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN10CA332
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's inadvertent closure of the fuel valve. Contributing to the accident were the unmarked fuel shutoff valve and the pilot's inexperience in the accident airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot/owner and a commercial-rated pilot departed in a tandem, two-seat, tailwheel-equipped airplane on a local flight. On the return leg to the airport the commercial pilot was flying the airplane. The commercial pilot, who was seated in the rear seat, did his before-landing checks to set up for the landing; however, during the approach to the runway the engine lost power. Unable to regain engine power, they elected to conduct a forced landing in a vacant lot. During the forced landing the airplane sustained damage to the left wing and fuselage. After the accident the pilot/owner and commercial pilot discovered that the engine’s fuel shut-off valve was in the (pulled) off position. The commercial pilot reported that he flew a Cub Special (PA-11), but never the accident airplane (J3), and that the fuel shut-off valve in the J3 was in the same place as the carburetor heat in the PA-11. The commercial pilot added that the shut-off valve was not color coded or marked, and that he pulled the fuel shut-off knob mistaking it for the carburetor heat.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper J3C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2010 | Piper J3C-65 | Cypress, Texas, United States | Trace Tucker, Henry Curd andMichael Steiger | No injuries | - |
| 15 May 2010 | Piper J3C-65 | Sandwich, Illinois, United States | Steven L. Miller | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 2010 | Piper J3C-65 | Thomaston, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 2010 | Piper J3C-85 | Auburn, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 2010 | Piper J3C-65 | Warrenton, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2010 | Piper J3C-65 | Mount Pleasant, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-28-181 | Umpire, Arkansas, United States | Michael Hunt | Fatal | 4 |
| 8 Oct 2010 | Cessna 175C | Humphrey, Arkansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 2010 | Cessna 310C | Ashdown, Arkansas, United States | Stoneman Excavating Co Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 2010 | Beechcraft 95-C55 | Ozark, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2010 | Bell 206L-1 | Walnut Grove, Arkansas, United States | Air Evac EMS Inc | Fatal | 3 |
| 3 May 2010 | Aero Commander S2R | DeWitt, Arkansas, United States | Aufderheide Flying Service Inc | Fatal | 1 |