Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft involved was a Piper J3C-65 (serial number 12490, manufactured 1944), registered G-KIRK. It was powered by a Continental C90-12F engine (serial number 44160-4-12) with a total time in service of 304 hours and 40 minutes. The aircraft had a Certificate of Validity – Permit to Fly – issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), valid until April 12, 2006. No aircraft logbook was carried, so maintenance records were unavailable; inspections and maintenance had been performed by an aircraft maintenance engineer in Australia in April 2005.
The pilot, a 60-year-old British male, held a private pilot license (airplane) with a type rating for single reciprocating engine (land) issued by the UK CAA. His total flight time was approximately 6,000 hours, with about 20 hours in the last 30 days. He had approximately 5,000 hours on the aircraft type.
History of the Flight
On October 21, 2005, the aircraft took off from Niigata Airport at 10:44 JST for a leisure flight with the pilot as the sole occupant. The destination was Hiroshima Airport. The flight plan specified visual flight rules (VFR), a cruising speed of 70 knots, and an estimated endurance of 8 hours. The aircraft had flown to Japan as part of a round-the-world journey.
According to the pilot, while flying near Toyama Prefecture, the engine misfired and stopped. The pilot performed checks (carburetor, mixture) and switched fuel tanks from the front tank to the high tank (in the wings), after which the engine restarted. The aircraft was then approximately 30 miles from Komatsu Airport at an altitude of 1,000–1,500 feet. The pilot subsequently flew close to the coast in case of a forced landing. He noted that a hill ahead was difficult to see due to mist. After crossing the hill, he saw a forest and no suitable landing area. While considering whether to continue or turn back, the engine stopped again at an altitude of 1,200–1,500 feet. After switching fuel tanks, the pilot descended at reduced speed to improve glide ratio. At about 600 feet above ground, the engine restarted but the reason was unclear. The pilot decided continued flight was dangerous due to lack of emergency landing options. The engine then ran intermittently ("half-drive"). The pilot turned off the tank selector. He saw a sports ground with children and an empty road, and chose to make an emergency landing there, gliding down and adjusting altitude with slips.
At Niigata Airport, avgas was unavailable, so automotive gasoline was used. The pilot noted that the engine manufacturer's documents permitted operation with automotive gasoline. Prior to flying to Japan, the aircraft had been parked outdoors in South Korea for about five months. The pilot removed the strainer and carburetor and found thick slime (grease-like foreign matter) in the strainer, which he cleaned. He suspected that South Korean automotive gasoline might have caused the slime. After fueling with avgas and a test run, the idle rpm stabilized and slime was not observed.
Emergency Landing and Aftermath
At approximately 13:08 JST, the aircraft made an emergency landing on a road under construction in Kanazawa City. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft flew at low altitude (about 50–60 meters initially, then about 20–30 meters overhead) and that no engine sound was heard due to construction noise. The aircraft hit a mini-truck, then a normal-size cargo truck, and came to a stop. The pilot got out after the crash. The aircraft was destroyed; there was no post-crash fire. One special-purpose vehicle, one mini-truck, and one truck were damaged. The pilot sustained slight injuries.