Piper PA12 accident near Cochranton, Pennsylvania, September 1, 2018
On September 1, 2018 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1947 Piper PA12, registered N3415M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cochranton, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2018 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cochranton, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA12, built 1947 · all PA12s on the register
- Registration
- N3415M · no longer on the register · serial 12-2265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had been flying for about 30 minutes when the engine lost total power. He flew the airplane toward a clearing for a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although weather conditions at the accident site were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at cruise power settings, the pilot provided conflicting statements regarding his use of carburetor heat, and whether carburetor icing played a role in the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,650 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,045 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 41505 /O-235 (piston); 1,045 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GKU Meadville PA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: GKU Meadville PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GKJ, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 21, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record FAA Airframe and Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3415M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.