| Crash location | 43.433611°N, 71.534444°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Epping, NH
43.047030°N, 71.078116°W 35.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N23267 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 12 Oct 2008 |
| Aircraft type | Piper J3C-50 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot of a Piper J3C-50 stated that after completing a preflight inspection, during startup of the airplane, he noticed that the engine was running rough. He made an attempt to clear up the rough running engine by conducting high-speed taxis. He then decided to fly it in the traffic pattern as a safety check. During takeoff, at an altitude of 50 feet above the runway, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot turned the airplane in an attempt to return to the private landing strip, and stalled into terrain. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that dirt and debris was found in the fuel lines. Further examination of maintenance records revealed that the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed about 5 years prior to the accident. Additionally, the airplane was operating on automobile gasoline, and there was no supplemental type certificate issued by the FAA for the accident airplane's use of automobile gasoline.
The pilot's improper preflight inspection and his decision to fly an unairworthy airplane.