Aeronca C3 accident near Ocean City, Maryland, May 28, 1983
On May 28, 1983 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Aeronca C3, registered N16270, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ocean City, Maryland (Ocean airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- May 28, 1983 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ocean City, Maryland · Ocean · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca C3 · all C3s on the register
- Registration
- N16270 · no longer on the register · serial 655
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL AFTER TAKEOFF THE ACFT STALLED. THE PLT PREVIOUSLY HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH THE ACFT ON 6/13/82. SINCE THAT DATE HE HAD RECORDED 17 HRS OF FLT TIME WITH LESS THAN 1 HR IN A J-3 CUB. THE J-3 IS SIMILAR TO THE AERONCA C3 IN SIZE BUT WITH TWICE AS MUCH HORSEPOWER.
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, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,084 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 878 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, April 22, 1983; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,006 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aeronca E-113-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from 80
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 N16270 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL83LA203.