Piper J3C-65 accident near Huntington Beach, California, July 22, 2022
On July 22, 2022 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1946 Piper J3C-65, registered N3666K, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Huntington Beach, California. It was a banner-towing flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s mismanagement of the available fuel at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing was the pilot’s delayed decision to switch fuel tanks.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2022 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Huntington Beach, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65, built 1946 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N3666K · registry record · serial 22356
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed the airport on a banner towing operation that would follow the Pacific Ocean shoreline. The airplane carried 36 gallons of fuel in 2 18-gallon fuel tanks and towed a banner. His flight profile was 500 ft agl and about 2,000 ft offshore. The pilot began the flight with the fuel tank selector in the left-tank position. After about 16 minutes of flight, the pilot switched to the right tank and the fuel tank selector remained in the right-tank position for about 2 hours 36 minutes. The pilot reported that shortly after he switched back to the left tank the engine sustained a total loss of power. With little altitude to recover, he elected to land in the water, near the shoreline; the wings and fuselage were substantially damaged in the landing. On-scene examination of the airplane after recovery from the water revealed that there was no fuel in the right tank. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed saltwater corrosion on some engine components, but no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Carburetor ice conditions were calculated to be serious, but only at glide power, which was not the conditions at the time of the total loss of power. Fuel samples taken at the airport’s fuel pump and from the airplane tanks revealed no contamination. A review of maintenance records for the airplane revealed no outstanding anomalies. Given that the pilot had the right tank selected for about 2 hours 36 minutes, the fuel burn rate was less than estimated by the pilot; however, the discovery that there was no fuel remaining in the right tank and no breaches of the right tank, it is likely the right tank ran empty before the pilot switched to the left tank.
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
- Ditching during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fuel starvation during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 870 hours in all; 97.8 in this make and model; 137.5 in the last 90 days; 61.8 in the last 30 days; 749.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 3, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,965.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 11, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 5,521 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPM Compton CA at 12:45 pm
- Destination: CPM Compton CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KSNA, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSNA 222053Z 19011KT 10SM SCT250 26/16 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP111 T02560156 58013
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
14 documents, released by the NTSB on May 2, 2024. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Interviews | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Ksna, July 22, 2022 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | ADS-B Data | map file | Download |
| 6 | ADS-B Excel Spreadsheet | spreadsheet | Download |
| 7 | FAA Dash 23 Narrative | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Airframe and Engine Examination Report | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Pilots Operating Handbook Excerpts | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 11 | FBO and Refueling N3666K | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 13 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 14 | Video File | video | 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 N3666K 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 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 WPR22LA268.