Piper J-3L-65 accident near Tallassee, Alabama, March 18, 1995
On March 18, 1995 at about 8:59 pm local time, a Piper J-3L-65, registered N27120, was destroyed in an accident near Tallassee, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE UTILITY LINE WHILE PERFORMING UNWARRANTED LOW ALTITUDE MANEUVERS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1995 · about 8:59 pm local time
- Place
- Tallassee, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3L-65 · all J-3L-65s on the register
- Registration
- N27120 · registry record · serial 4385
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, THE STUDENT PILOT HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL FLIGHT HOURS IN THE AIRPLANE, BUT HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO FLY ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN A RIGHT CLIMBING TURN 10 FT AGL, THEN COLLIDE WITH A UTILITY LINE WHICH CROSSED THE OPEN FIELD. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE UPPER PORTION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT COLLIDED WITH THE UTILITY WIRE.
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: student
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 80 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,934 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1994; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-85-8F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 08A Wetumpka AL
- Destination: 08A
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from MGM, 15 miles away
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.
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 ATL95FA065.