Probable cause
The pilot's exhaustion of the fuel supply in the selected tank.
NTSB analysis
The commercial pilot stated that he filled the airplane's fuel tanks the day before the accident; he departed on the banner tow flight with an estimated 4.8 hours of fuel endurance. After about 4 hours of flight, which included 6 full-power climbs with banners, the engine lost total power. During the subsequent forced landing, the pilot switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank and attempted to restart the engine to no avail. The airplane landed in a marsh, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and firewall. During postaccident examination of the airplane, about 1 gallon of fuel was recovered from the right fuel tank, while no fuel was recovered from the left fuel tank. It is likely that the pilot exhausted the fuel supply in the left fuel tank, which resulted in the total loss of engine power.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA17LA281 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 20, 2017
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Green Creek, New Jersey
- Nearest airport
- Paramount (JYO4)
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper J3C
- N-number
- N46286
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1942
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Banner tow
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.