Piper J3C-65 N87792
20 April 2010 · White Bear Lake, Minnesota, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 20 April 2010 at about 21:01 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N87792, operated by Robert Pike, was involved in an accident near White Bear Lake, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. 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 21:01
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- White Bear Lake, Minnesota, United States
- Nearest airport
- Benson Airport (6MN9)
- Coordinates
- 45.1164, -92.9958
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65
- Registration
- N87792
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Robert Pike
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- White Bear Lake → Lake Elmo
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN10CA211
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel contamination as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he conducted a normal preflight, run-up, and takeoff. The engine stopped during the takeoff climb, about 150–200 feet above ground level. The pilot restarted the engine 3–4 times, but the engine was producing less power each time. The engine stopped and the pilot executed a forced landing to a field with trees in it. The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with trees and terrain. Postaccident inspection of the airplane’s fuel system revealed that the fuel line between the fuel sump (strainer) and the carburetor was full of water. The inspection of the airplane revealed no other anomalies.
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 | - |
| 14 Jun 2010 | Piper J3C-65 | Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States | - | 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 | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 2010 | Piper PA-46-350P | Lake Elmo, Minnesota, United States | Richard Davidson | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 2010 | Luscombe 8D | Clarrisa, Minnesota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 2010 | Beechcraft 300 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Diamond 1A LLC | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2010 | Bell 47G-4A | Rochester, Minnesota, United States | Scotts Helicopter Services Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-23 | Rochester, Minnesota, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 15 Jun 2010 | Douglas DC9 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Delta Air Lines | Unknown | - |