Piper J3C-65 N95480 accident near Fort Gaines, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during flight, which resulted in a collision with a river.

NTSB analysis

The pilot/owner and a pilot-rated passenger were on the first leg of a short, cross-country flight and did not arrive at their destination. A search was initiated, and the wreckage was located a week later in a remote area of a river in about 10 to 15 ft of water. No witnesses to the accident were located. The pilot was found at the rear seat position, and the passenger was found still buckled into the front seat.

All major structural components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site, and flight control continuity was confirmed to the cockpit controls. The engine was removed from the airframe and disassembled; it did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. The cork-and-rod fuel quantity indicator was bent over and captured in the "empty" position; however, the fuel tank was breached, and the airplane was partially inverted in the water. Automated fueling records revealed that the pilot twice attempted to purchase fuel before the flight but only obtained 0.173 gallon. It could not be determined if the pilot obtained additional fuel from another source. The width of the river provided adequate room for a forced landing; however, the damage to the airframe and the occupants' injuries were consistent with an out-of-control condition at the time of impact.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14FA455 for the full record.