Piper J3C-65 accident near Groveland, Florida, July 27, 2024
On July 27, 2024 at about 5:31 pm local time, a 1959 Piper J3C-65, registered N77522, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Groveland, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2024 · about 5:31 pm local time
- Place
- Groveland, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65, built 1959 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N77522 · registry record · serial 22014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed after a 1 1/2 hour flight. While attempting to refuel, he discovered that the airport’s self-serve fuel pumps were out of order. The pilot calculated that the fuel remaining in the airplane was 11 gallons and departed on the return flight without refueling. About 1 hour after departure, the engine lost total power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to wooded terrain. The airplane came to rest in a tree canopy about 31 miles from the destination airport. The airplane’s fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the carburetor and gascolator were absent of fuel. The fuel tanks were intact with no evidence of leakage; about 28 ounces of fuel were recovered from the right wing and about 1/2 gallon was recovered from the left wing. The fuel selector valve was plumbed backward between the left and right fuel tanks, and the header tank was not vented to the left fuel tank. Considering the low fuel quantity, the unvented fuel header tank likely reduced head pressure to the carburetor and resulted in fuel starvation. Given the amount of fuel found in the fuel tanks after the accident, it is unlikely that there was sufficient fuel onboard to have completed the flight to the destination; however, due to the lack of documentation of modifications that had been performed to the fuel system, the amount of unusable fuel could not be determined. There were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies noted to the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not installed/available
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 294 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 213 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 161.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 21, 2024; 15.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X60 Williston FL at 4:25 pm
- Destination: 4FL9 Hanes City FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from LEE, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLEE 271753Z 17006KT 10SM FEW031 31/26 A3005 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT W-N SLP174 T03060256 10317 20256 58013
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 ERA24LA328.