Piper J3C-65 accident near Eureka Lodge, Alaska, October 3, 1988
On October 3, 1988 at about 3:30 am local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N98109, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eureka Lodge, Alaska (Eureka airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- October 3, 1988 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Eureka Lodge, Alaska · Eureka
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N98109 · registry record · serial 18268
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT DUSK ON A SNOW COVERED, UNLIGHTED PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. HE STATED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AS CLOSE TO THE LANDING THRESHOLD AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID A LARGE BUMP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY. HE MISJUDGED HIS APPROACH AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN HEAVY BRUSH.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 194 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 103 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1988; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 1,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N98109 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 ANC89LA004.