Piper J3C accident near Waterford, Michigan, May 18, 2007
On May 18, 2007 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper J3C, registered N28DR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waterford, Michigan (Oakland-Pontiac airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, causing a water loop. A factor in the accident was the water loop encountered.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2007 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waterford, Michigan · Oakland-Pontiac · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C · all J3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N28DR · registry record · serial 21010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The float plane's takeoff roll seemed longer than normal to the pilot. After he lifted off, he noticed a shimmy even though the aircraft was out of the water. He decided to abort the takeoff because he "still had plenty of water left to land on" ahead of him. The airplane touched down with the left float first. When the right float touched down, the airplane yawed hard to the right and water looped. Water conditions at the time of the accident were reported by the pilot as calm. An examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command; 1,050 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,859 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Waterford MI
- Destination: Williams Lake
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KPTK, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N28DR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CHI07CA149.