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NYC91LA201

1991-08-06 · WESTERLY, Rhode Island, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport WST

Current FAA registration · N30837

Make / Model
PIPER J3C-65
Year of manufacture
1940 · 51 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19560303
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A33FEB

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

ENGINE FAILURE FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT MISJUDGING THE CLEARANCE OVER A FENCE DURING AN ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL POWER LOSS AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 300 FEET AGL. SHE SUBSEQUENTLY ATTEMPTED TO TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT, HOWEVER, DURING THE TURN THE AIRPLANE DEVELOPED A DESCENT RATE AND THE PILOT CHANGED HER INTENDED FORCED LANDING AREA TO A STREET RATHER THAN IN FRONT OF THE AIRPORT TERMINAL. ON SHORT FINAL, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL. THE REASON FOR THE POWER LOSS WAS NOT DETERMINED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_NYC91LA201.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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