A J3 LANDED OFF ARPT WITH A ROUGH RUNNING ENG. THE TAIL WHEEL HIT AN ELEC SVC WIRE. AFTER LNDG IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VINTAGE 1946 ACFT HAD NO ELT INSTALLED AND NO POH. NO REPORTED INJURIES OR DAMAGE.

Date: 2008-07 · Aircraft: J3 Cub · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

A J3 LANDED OFF ARPT WITH A ROUGH RUNNING ENG. THE TAIL WHEEL HIT AN ELEC SVC WIRE. AFTER LNDG IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VINTAGE 1946 ACFT HAD NO ELT INSTALLED AND NO POH. NO REPORTED INJURIES OR DAMAGE.

Narrative

I WAS A PAX ABOARD A PIPER J3 CUB. MY FRIEND WAS FLYING THE PLANE AND WAS ALSO PIC. I AM ALSO A LICENSED PLT. WHILE ENRTE THE ENG INSTANTLY RAN ROUGH AND SHAKED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. MY FRIEND DECIDED TO LAND IN A FIELD. UPON APCH TO LAND; THE TAILWHEEL CAUGHT A RESIDENTIAL SVC WIRE AND PULLED THE WIRE LOOSE FROM THE HOUSE. THE AIRPLANE LANDED SAFELY WITH NO DAMAGE. THE FAA HAS BEGUN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT WHICH WE FEEL WILL FIND NO FAULT FOR EITHER MY FRIEND OR MYSELF. I AM WRITING THIS LETTER IN CASE THERE IS ANYTHING THAT MAY HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED. THE SVC WIRE WAS REPAIRED THE NEXT DAY BY AN ELECTRICIAN. WE NOTICED THE ELT WAS NOT ABOARD THE ACFT. ALSO NO STICKER WAS ON THE DASH SAYING THE ELT WAS NOT INSTALLED. I DO NOT OWN THE ACFT AND DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE ACFT MAINT HISTORY. THERE IS NO POH BECAUSE PIPER NEVER MADE ONE WHEN THE ACFT WAS BUILT AND NONE IS AVAILABLE. I BELIEVE THE ALTIMETER LENSES FELL OUT OF THE INST PANEL. IT MAY HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE FIELD. NO DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. (THIS MAY EVEN BE CONSIDERED LESS THAN AN INCIDENT.)

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.