Piper J-3 accident near Clarks Hill, South Carolina, October 18, 1987
On October 18, 1987 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper J-3, registered N98806, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clarks Hill, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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 18, 1987 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Clarks Hill, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 · all J-3s on the register
- Registration
- N98806 · registry record · serial 19048
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS CIRCLING ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE TREES WHEN THE PILOT BEGAN A CLIMBING TURN. AS HE LEVELED THE WINGS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER AND EASED FORWARD ON THE CONTROL STICK LOWERING THE AIRCRAFT NOSE SLIGHTLY. WHEN HE PULLED BACK ON THE FLIGHT CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND INTO THE TREES. THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS ONLY ABLE TO MOVE THE CONTROL STICK THROUGH APRX 50% OF ITS TRAVEL WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT. HE FELT THAT THE BOTTOM REAR SEAT CUSHION MAY HAVE SLID FORWARD, AS IT HAD PREVIOUSLY, RESTRICTING THE CONTROL STICK TRAVEL.
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: 853 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 194 in the last 90 days; 152 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,334 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,170 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Augusta Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: DNL Augusta GA at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:06 pm from SAV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 ATL88LA017.