Pilot Debrief

PIPER J3C near Brimfield, OH — 2026-02-01

Final reportERA26LA105
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Date
2026-02-01
Location
Brimfield, OH, USA
Aircraft
PIPER J3C
Registration
N5930V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat during descent in cold temperatures, which resulted in a total loss of engine power at an altitude too low for recovery.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of the of the vintage, 65-hp, tailwheel airplane reported that he had been flying for about 20 minutes. He had applied carburetor heat during some of the flight, but not all of the flight. The pilot was performing low altitude passes over a friend’s farm, in cold temperatures (20° F). He had the engine power near idle as he descended towards the farm for a fourth time and did not have the carburetor heat on. About treetop level, as the pilot increased throttle input, he realized that the engine had lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing into trees, and the airplane came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation and that the accident could have been prevented if he applied carburetor heat for the entire flight. Review of the owner’s manual revealed instructions to always have the carburetor heat control full on during long glides such as an approach for landing, as it would tend to keep the engine warm and reduce the possibility of the engine failing to accelerate when the throttle was open suddenly.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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