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BFO92LA087

1992-07-06 · FREDERICK, Maryland, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FDK

Current FAA registration · N92668

Make / Model
PIPER J3C-65
Year of manufacture
1946 · 46 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19560613
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ACD7BF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT RESULTING IN THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE. CARBURETOR ICING WEATHER CONDITIONS WAS A FACTOR.

Factual narrative

THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS AN INTRODUCTION FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT AFTER THE PREFLIGHT, HE AND THE STUDENT SPENT SOME TIME TAXIING THE AIRPLANE AND PERFORMED SOME GROUND HANDLING EXERCISES. THE CFI STATED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, TWO ENGINE RUN-UP'S WERE PERFORMED, AND NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTED. THE CFI STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. HE STATED THAT A STRAIGHT AHEAD LANDING WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO TREES AND HOMES, SO A LEFT TURN WAS MADE. THE CFI SAID HE CHECKED THE MAGNETOS, FUEL, AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER. THE CFI SAID HE EXECUTED AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING AND SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS FUELED AND NO ENGINE ANOMALIES WERE FOUND. THE CFI REPORTED THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 64 DEGREES F, AND THE DEW POINT WAS 63 DEGREES F. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_BFO92LA087.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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