On May 16, 1983, a Piper J3 (registration N42563) was involved in an aviation accident near Sherrill, AR. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft nosed over during an emergency downwind landing in a wet rice field after an engine failure. The pilot attributed the failure to water in the fuel. Inspection of another aircraft from the same operator revealed high water content.
Incident Overview
An aircraft experienced an engine failure and subsequently nosed over while executing an emergency downwind landing in a wet rice field. The landing followed the abrupt loss of engine power during flight. The aircraft sustained damage as a result of the nose-over event.
Pilot Statement
According to the pilot, the engine failure was caused by water contamination in the fuel. The pilot reported that water entered the fuel system, leading to the power loss. No further details on the pilot's observations or actions were provided.
Fuel Contamination Findings
The operator of the aircraft services its fleet from a private underground fuel storage tank. Recent heavy rains had occurred in the area, and a large quantity of water had accumulated in the tank. An inspection of another aircraft owned by the same operator revealed that its fuel supply contained a high volume of water, indicating a widespread contamination issue. The presence of water in the fuel system of the accident aircraft was consistent with that finding.