Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 accident near Chandler, Arizona, April 3, 1996
On April 3, 1996 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, registered N45043, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandler, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of both the engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps, which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1996 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 · all N3N-3s on the register
- Registration
- N45043 · registry record · serial 2716
- 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 was in cruise when the fuel pressure went to zero. He attempted to restore the fuel pressure by using a hand wobble pump but was unsuccessful. The engine lost power and the aircraft nosed over during the forced landing in desert terrain. FAA inspectors examined the aircraft and found fuel in the tanks. The engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps were removed from the engine and taken to an overhaul facility where they were installed in a calibrated test bench for a functional check. Both pumps failed the functional test and did not flow any fuel. Review of the maintenance records revealed no entry denoting an overhaul of the components at the time of the last engine overhaul. The history, calendar age, and total time of the pumps are unknown.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,274 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,147 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,080 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 1996; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHD at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX96LA153.