Piper J3C-65 accident near Greenville, Kentucky, August 30, 1987
On August 30, 1987 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N92191, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, Kentucky (Muhlenberg County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- August 30, 1987 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Kentucky · Muhlenberg County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N92191 · registry record · serial 16631
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT WAS BEING CONDUCTED AS PART OF A 'CLOWN ACT' AT AN AIR SHOW. THE ENG LOST PWR SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AS THE PLT WAS PERFORMING PITCHING MANEUVERS. HE UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN PWR BY 'PUMPING' THE THROTTLE. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED TREES. A POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE GASCOLATOR WAS ABOUT 90% FULL OF WATER AND 10% FULL OF FUEL. HOWEVER, THE CONTENTS OF THE CARBURETOR WAS MOSTLY FUEL WITH ABOUT 1 TO 2 TEASPOONS OF WATER. A SMALL AMOUNT OF TRASH WAS ALSO PRESENT IN FUEL THAT WAS DRAINED FROM THE CARBURETOR. THE CARBURETOR WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN ACCELERATOR PUMP. NO WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK. THE PLT REPORTED THAT NO WATER WAS OBTAINED WHEN FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE FUEL TANK PRIOR TO FLT.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 28,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 27,850 as pilot in command; 7,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 1987; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 ATL87LA246.