Piper J3C-65 accident near Danbury, Connecticut, August 4, 1997
On August 4, 1997 at about 8:05 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N24565, was destroyed in an accident near Danbury, Connecticut (Danbury Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to takeoff with the fuel selector in the full on position, which resulted in fuel starvation. Also causal was the pilot's improper in-flight decision to attempt a 180 degree turn back to the runway, which resulted in the inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1997 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Danbury, Connecticut · Danbury Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N24565 · no longer on the register · serial 3261
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had flown the airplane on several previous flights and stated that it had 'performed flawlessly.' The pilot and passenger flew a 1 hour flight and returned to the departure airport. The airplane was on the ground for about 30 minutes and had a radio antenna repaired. The engine was started by the pilot to check the radio on the ground, and then shut down. The pilot then restarted the engine with one pull of the propeller and taxied out for takeoff. After takeoff, about 200 feet above the ground, the engine lost power and the pilot began a steep 180 degree turn. The airplane then stalled and spun into the ground, about 1,000 feet from the departure end of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failures of the airframe or engine. The fuel selector valve, and control assembly in the cockpit, were found in the OFF position. When air was applied to one end of the fuel selector in the OFF position, a flow of air could be felt at the other end. A similar airplane was started with the fuel selector OFF, and the engine ran for 1 minute and 46 seconds before fuel starvation.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,350 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 4,114 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,197 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 1997; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DXR at 8:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,135 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from DXR
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.
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.