Piper J3C-65 accident near Greenville, South Carolina, May 29, 1995
On May 29, 1995 at about 4:07 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N31328, was destroyed in an accident near Greenville, South Carolina (Donaldson Center airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed. A factor was his failure to reposition the elevator trim.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1995 · about 4:07 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, South Carolina · Donaldson Center · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N31328 · no longer on the register · serial 3265
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE REAR SEAT, PILOT-RATED, PASSENGER HE HAD PERFORMED TWO TOUCH & GO LANDINGS. AFTER THE SECOND ONE, THE FRONT SEAT PILOT TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE TO EXECUTE ANOTHER TOUCH & GO. A STEEP LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED AND ABOUT 100 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE STALLED. DURING THE POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE, THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS FOUND IN THE NEARLY FULL NOSE UP POSITION. POST CRASH TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT WERE POSITIVE FOR ANTIDEPRESSANTS THAT WERE BELOW THERAPEUTIC LEVELS. TOXICOLOGY TEST RESULTS OF THE REAR SEAT, PILOT-RATED, PASSENGER WERE REQUESTED, HOWEVER, THE HOSPITAL INDICATED THAT NO TESTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,398 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 1994; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 7A1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from 7A1
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.
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.