Piper J3C-65 accident near De Kalb, Illinois, May 3, 2015
On May 3, 2015 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 1946 Piper J3C-65, registered N98656, was substantially damaged in an accident near De Kalb, Illinois (De Kalb Taylor Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of positional awareness while taxiing, resulting in a collision with a parked and unoccupied airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's difficulty seeing over the nose of the airplane, his preoccupation with trying to control the airplane in the wind, and his minimal experience in the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2015 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- De Kalb, Illinois · De Kalb Taylor Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65, built 1946 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N98656 · registry record · serial 18877
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was in the rear tandem seat of the tailwheel airplane, had just landed and was taxing to the fuel pumps to refuel. He did not see the parked Beech A36 over the nose of his airplane and collided with the right wing of N4678A. The pilot said the accident could have been prevented if he had followed the taxi line on the tarmac. He also blamed his "less than effective brakes" that didn't help as he tried to control the airplane in the wind. This caused his attention to be diverted and he lost sight of the surrounding obstructions. The pilot had logged a total of 82 flight hours, of which 13 hours were in the accident airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- 250200 during loss of control - in flight
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Sensory ability/limitation › Visual function › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Ability to respond/compensate
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Capability exceeded
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 45 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 18, 2014
- Medical certificate: sport pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,862 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, April 28, 2015; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-65-8F (piston); 1,862 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: KEFT Monroe WI at 2:50 pm
- Destination: KDKB De Kalb IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scattered at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 59°C, dew point 55°C
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from KDKB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN15CA223.