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Atlas / NTSB / NYC83LA089

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event NYC83LA089

1983-04-09 SPENCER, Massachusetts, United States Airport · MA10 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N26182

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER J3C-65

Year of manufacture

1948 · 35 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR C85 SERIES (85 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19580630

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A2863F

Registrant of record

REGISTRATION PENDING

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE PILOT WAS WARMING THE ENG FOR A COMPRESSION CHECK AND OIL CHANGE IN PREPARATION FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. HE STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT RATHER THAN RUN THE ENGINE ON THE GROUND. ON TKOF A HIGH RATE OF CLIMB WAS OBTAINED AND AT 150 MSL THE ENG QUIT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A 180 DEGREE TURN BUT WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR TREES SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. THE ACFT CONTAINED ONLY 15-20 MINUTES OF FUEL. THE PILOTS RATE OF CLIMB UNPORTED THE FUEL OUTLETS AND STARVED THE ENGINE OF FUEL. THE PILOT STATES THAT HIS RATE OF CLIMB FORCED THE FUEL TO THE REAR OF THE FUEL TANK AWAY FROM THE OUTLET PIPE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1983_NYC83LA089.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.