Accident Details
On March 27, 2021, at approximately 1600 central daylight time, a Piper J3C-65 airplane, registration N42769, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Justin, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, he had departed a private airfield about 30 minutes before the accident for a local flight. While setting up for landing, he applied carburetor heat on the downwind leg and reduced power on the base leg. When he attempted to add power, the engine did not respond, although the propeller continued to windmill. Unable to glide back to the private airfield, the pilot selected a nearby wheatfield for a forced landing. During the approach, the airplane struck trees and came to rest in them.
Examination
An on-site inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector noted that the fuel tank contained fuel and that both wings and the fuselage had sustained substantial damage. The airplane was later recovered from the trees and placed in the owner's hangar. A subsequent engine examination conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board Investigator-In-Charge on April 2, 2021, including an engine run, did not identify any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
A review of the icing probability chart contained in FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 indicated that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious icing at glide (idle) power.