Preliminary information
On June 2, 2026, at 1151 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N331JM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near East Granby, Connecticut. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot stated that after takeoff, when the airplane was about 400 ft, he noticed the engine rpm drop slightly. When the rpm continued to drop, he turned to return to the airport. As the airplane descended to about 200 ft, the engine lost all power. The pilot subsequently conducted a forced landing in a farm field. The airplane struck a greenhouse and the landing gear partially collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount.
The airplane was retained for examination.
Text from the NTSB; a preliminary report can change and names no cause. Open the NTSB docket for ERA26LA225 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 2, 2026
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- East Granby, Connecticut
- Nearest airport
- Simsbury (4B9)
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper J5C-65
- N-number
- N331JM
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1946
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
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.