Piper J3C-65 accident at Ogden, Utah, 8 Dec 1943 (NC-25948)

Accident narrative

On December 8, 1943, a Piper J3C-65 (NC 25948) crashed approximately 6 miles west of Hinckley Field in Ogden, Utah. The aircraft was demolished. Instructor Hyrum Charles Deloney was seriously injured, and student Frank Gandolpho Concialdi received minor injuries.

The flight departed at approximately 11.15 a.m. for the student's final check flight prior to graduation. According to the student, they completed high sequence maneuvers in the practice area and descended to about 1,000 feet, where the instructor called for a simulated forced landing. The student stated he assumed a normal glide and reached an altitude of around 200 feet when the instructor took the controls. When the instructor opened the throttle, the engine failed to respond. The student reported that the instructor then made a very steep right turn, causing the right wing tip to strike the ground and the airplane to crash. The instructor stated he was unable to remember anything pertaining to the accident.

Examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact failures, and the propeller indicated that power was not being developed at impact. The Board believed the engine was permitted to cool during the glide, causing it to fail when the throttle was opened. The Board noted that if the airplane had been at 200 feet when power was lost, as the student stated, a turn would have been unnecessary because good fields were available ahead. It appeared to the Board that the airplane was close to the ground when the instructor took over, and that the turn was made to avoid a power line in the flight path.

The Board determined the probable cause was poor judgment and carelessness on the part of the instructor in not requiring the student to keep the engine properly cleared during a prolonged glide, and in allowing him to continue a simulated forced landing to a point from which a safe emergency landing could not be effected.