Piper J3F 65 accident near Strasburg, Colorado, June 27, 2016
On June 27, 2016, a 1940 Piper J3F 65, registered N29042, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Strasburg, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice accumulation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2016
- Place
- Strasburg, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3F 65 65, built 1940 · all J3F 65s on the register
- Registration
- N29042 · registry record · serial 6013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he departed an airport with full gas and headed east to another airport to perform a touch-and-go landing. After the touch-and-go landing, the engine "never really seemed to perform" on climbout. He attempted to restore power without success, and the airplane began descending. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field, where the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at a descent power setting. The loss of engine power likely occurred due to the accumulation of carburetor ice during the descent. The formation of ice would reduce rpm but might not result in rough engine operation. Thus, the reduction in rpm could have gone unnoticed given the typical engine power setting changes when the airplane was on approach for the touch and go.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel related during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 29, 2016
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2015
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C-85-RF (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CO38 Strasburg CO at 1:30 am
- Destination: FTG Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from FTG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N29042 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN16LA239.