Piper J-3 -C65 accident near Jackson, Tennessee, October 4, 2003
On October 4, 2003 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Piper J-3 -C65, registered N38272, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Tennessee (Mckellar-Sipes Regional airport). It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper us of flight controls during an attempted takeoff, which resulted in an collision with the specially equipped automobile.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2003 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Tennessee · Mckellar-Sipes Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 -C65 · all J-3 -C65s on the register
- Registration
- N38272 · registry record · serial 6898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot he was involved in an air show performance of a car top takeoff and landing routine. The pilot stated that after performing the landing and waving to the crowd, he and the driver of the car lined up at the departure end of the runway and proceeded to start the take off roll. The tail of the airplane lifted off as expected. The driver of the car was to reach 43 miles per hour. the pilot stated he was watching for the latching mechanism to release the left main landing gear tire assembly first, then the right main landing gear tire. During the actuation of the release system, the forward section of the wheel stops fall forward and down to a point just below parallel with the ramps. After the tires were released he applied full power and pulled back on the control stick. The airplane rolled forward into the concave wheel stops. The tail wheel struck a support tube on the car just above the rear window then bounced slightly. For a brief moment the tail wheel was free from the structure on the car before once again becoming entangled in the left hand ramp on the car. At this point, forward movement became lateral movement to the left. As the airplane rotated and rolled to the left, the left hand elevator contacted the outside of the left hand ramp and was crushed, twisting the entire empennage. The left wing tip dipped and struck the ground.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 520 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 520 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKL Jackson TN at 6:30 pm
- Destination: MKL Jackson
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 3,540 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MKL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N38272 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.