At about 14:00 EDT, a Piper J3C-65 crashed while maneuvering near Lanconia, leaving the two occupants seriously injured. The pilot reportedly took off from his fathers grass field and entered a right turn, 150 feet above the ground. After completing the turn the airplane pitched up, stalled and descended to the ground almost vertically. An investigator said a sample of fuel that was drained from the airplane after the accident was green and cloudy. Fuel examined in the gascolator resembled muddy water. The airplane had last been fueled in October 1999 and had not been flown since.
April 15, Lanconia, N.H. / Piper Cub
At about 14:00 EDT, a Piper J3C-65 crashed while maneuvering near Lanconia, leaving the two occupants seriously injured. The pilot reportedly took off from his fathers grass field and entered a right turn, 150 feet above the ground. After completing the turn the airplane pitched up, stalled and descended to the ground almost vertically. An investigator said a sample of fuel that was drained from the airplane after the accident was green and cloudy. Fuel examined in the gascolator resembled muddy water. The airplane had last been fueled in October 1999 and had not been flown since....
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper J3C-65 crashed near Lanconia after stalling during a low-altitude turn, seriously injuring its two occupants.
- Investigators discovered severe fuel contamination, describing drained fuel as green and cloudy, and fuel in the gascolator as "muddy water."
- The aircraft had not been flown or fueled since October 1999, indicating a long period of inactivity that likely contributed to the fuel degradation.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
