Piper J3C-65 N3618K

Summary

On 20 March 1983 at about 15:03 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N3618K was involved in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 March 1983 at 15:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Lauderdale (FXE)

Coordinates

26.1907, -80.1697

Aircraft

Piper J3C-65

Registration

N3618K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA83FA096

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT'S FATHER AND FIANCEE WERE ACTING AS GROUND CREW FOR THE BANNER PICKUP. THE PILOT'S FATHER, WHO IS A SENIOR CAPTAIN FOR PAN AM, STATED THAT THE ACFR FLEW IN A VERY ERRATIC MANNER AFTER THE BANNER TOWING HOOK WAS THROWN OUT. THE ACFT WAS BANKING AND PITCHING UNTIL IT PITCHED DOWN INTO A STEEP DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. TWO OTHER WITNESSES THOUGHT THE ACFT ACTED AS IF IT WERE IN A CROSS CONTROL OR ACCELERATED STALL CONDITION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PITCH TRIM WAS IN THE FULL NOSE UP POSITION. NO REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THIS. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE. WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE OPERATED AT CONSTANT POWER DURING THE CRASH.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.