Piper J3C-65 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, July 25, 2025
On July 25, 2025 at about 5:16 pm local time, a 1945 Piper J3C-65, registered N5050R, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Dillingham, Alaska (Dillingham Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2025 · about 5:16 pm local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · Dillingham Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65, built 1945 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N5050R · registry record · serial 15301
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 25, 2025, about 0916 Alaska daylight time, a Piper J3C-65 airplane, N5050R, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to witnesses, shortly after performing a touch-and-go landing on the gravel surface adjacent to Runway 19 at the Dillingham Airport, as the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 200 ft above the runway, the engine experienced a momentary loss of power, followed by an engine restart. The nose of the airplane then pitched up, slowed, and the left wing stalled, resulting in an uncontrolled, nose-down, vertical descent. During the descent, the airplane engine reportedly experienced another loss of power. The airplane impacted the runway approximately 680 feet northeast of the departure end of Runway 19 and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. (See figure 1) Figure 1. Accident site location on the Dillingham Airport. A witness captured a portion of the accident sequence on a cell phone video. See figures 2A and 2B. Figure 2A. Accident airplane on initial climb from Runway 19 (Provided by Alaska State Troopers) Figure 2B. Accident airplane during the uncontrolled descent (Provided by Alaska State Troopers) The wreckage has been moved to a secure location and a detailed NTSB examination is pending.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Runway 19, 6,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from PADL, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PADL 251656Z COR 29004KT 10SM OVC060 11/09 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP179 T01110089 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N5050R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC25FA079.