Piper J3-C65 accident near West Fargo, North Dakota, June 11, 2001
On June 11, 2001 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper J3-C65, registered N3253N, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Fargo, North Dakota (West Fargo 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and the unsuitable landing area selected by the pilot. Additional factors were the uneven terrain and the failed float assembly in overload.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2001 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- West Fargo, North Dakota · West Fargo Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3-C65 · all J3-C65s on the register
- Registration
- N3253N · registry record · serial 22444
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The floatplane sustained substantial damage when it landed on a grass field, subsequently collapsing the float rigging and damaging the wing. The pilot reported, "... upon slide out, aircraft turned abruptly to line 90 degrees, side loading floats. Bending struts on floats, prop struck float, wingtip struck ground when float struts gave way." The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. A witness who worked at the airport reported the grass field adjacent to the airport had been mowed so the pilot could land. He reported the pilot was the first person to land on the grass at that airport.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 787 hours in all; 117 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 717 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 11, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,665 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 2001; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-8FJ (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D54 Fargo ND
- Destination: Fargo ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
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 CHI01LA201.