Piper J-3C-65 accident near Bayfield, Wisconsin, August 27, 2006
On August 27, 2006 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Piper J-3C-65, registered N76JS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bayfield, Wisconsin. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in a stall. A factor associated with the accident was the low altitude at which the airplane stalled.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2006 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bayfield, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3C-65 · all J-3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N76JS · registry record · serial 18209
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane contacted a parked van and the terrain following a stall while maneuvering. The pilot reported the purpose of the flight was to take aerial photographs of an Inn. She stated she was attempting to circle over the Inn on the "edge of a stall; nursing the airspeed and trying to gain altitude" when the right wing struck a wire and the airplane stalled. The pilot reported she made a 90 degree turn during which the right wing contacted the rear window of a parked van. The airplane then came to rest in the grass.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 917 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ASX Ashland WI at 12:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from ASX
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.