Piper J3C N10510
7 March 2023 · Winter Haven, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 7 March 2023 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper J3C registered N10510, operated by Jack Browns Seaplane Base Inc, was involved in an accident near Winter Haven, Florida, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Winter Haven, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Winter Haven Rgnl (GIF)
- Coordinates
- 28.0555, -81.7408
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C
- Registration
- N10510
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1945
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Jack Browns Seaplane Base Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Winter Haven → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA23FA142
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of both flight crews to see and avoid each other while operating in the airport environment.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A float-equipped J3C was returning to its seaplane base for a water landing after a local flight. A PA-28 was performing power-off 180° landing maneuvers at an airport adjacent to the seaplane base. Shortly after the PA-28 pilot announced a left turn to the base leg over the airport common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the airplanes collided nearly head-on at 465 ft above ground level. Postaccident examination of both airplanes revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The J3C was not equipped with a radio, nor was it required to be. With no radio in the J3C, neither they nor the crew in the PA-28 would have had any attentional cueing that would have alerted them to the other airplane. Neither airplane was equipped with avionics that would allow for an in-cockpit traffic display and only the PA-28 was equipped with ADS-B out. Review of video evidence from a nearby residence revealed that, given the two flight paths and the nearly head-on impact, the front-seat pilot of the J3C and the right-seat flight instructor of the PA-28 should have been able to detect the other airplane. Both crews efforts to detect the other likely would have been made more difficult by the complex background of sky and ground. The PA-28 flight instructor’s postaccident toxicology testing results indicated that she had used the antihistamine medication cetirizine. Based on the cetirizine levels measured in cavity blood and tissue, it is possible that she may have been experiencing some associated sedation at the time of the accident. Although sedation can adversely affect vigilance, there is no clear evidence that this was a factor in the collision, which plausibly could have occurred in the absence of impairment. Ethanol was detected at a very low level in a postmortem cavity blood specimen from the PA-28 pilot receiving instruction. Ethanol was not detected in his urine. These results indicate that some or all of the detected ethanol may have been from postmortem production, and that ethanol effects did not likely contribute to the accident. The J3C was not equipped with a radio, nor was it required to be, and was therefore not self-announcing or able to receive transmissions on CTAF. With no radio in the JC3, neither they nor the crew in the PA-28 would have had any attentional cueing that would have alerted them to the other airplane. Neither airplane was equipped with avionics that would allow for an in-cockpit traffic display and only the PA-28 was equipped with ADS-B out. Had both flight crews had access to two-way radios and in-cockpit traffic displays, with ADS-B in and out, they likely would have been better able to see and avoid the impending collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper J3C 65 | N10510 | Jack Browns Seaplane Base Inc | Substantial |
| Piper PA28 161 | N9221D | Sunrise Aviation, Inc | Substantial |
Other Piper J3C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 2023 | Piper J3C-50 | Elbert, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 2023 | Piper J3C-65 | Miles City, Montana, United States | Balsam Shane C | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 2023 | Piper J3C | Romeoville, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2023 | Piper J3C-65 | Princeton, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 2023 | Piper J3C-65 | Belfair, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 2023 | Piper J3C-65 | Salem, Wisconsin, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2023 | Jamros Robert L Jr CHALLENGER II | Port Orange, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 May 2023 | Robinson R44 II | Bradenton, Florida, United States | Registration Pending | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 2023 | Beechcraft 35-B33 | Scottsmoor, Florida, United States | Honour Aviation LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 2023 | Green Richard H VAN'S RV7A | Williston, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 2023 | Lancair 235 | Stuart, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jan 2023 | Cessna 172N | Opa-locka, Florida, United States | Skyduo Flight Academy LLC. | No injuries | - |