Piper J3F-65 accident near Grand Ledge, Michigan, June 25, 2007
On June 25, 2007 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper J3F-65, registered N2364K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Ledge, Michigan (Abrams Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff resulting in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2007 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Ledge, Michigan · Abrams Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3F-65 · all J3F-65s on the register
- Registration
- N2364K · registry record · serial 3108
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tailwheel airplane was substantially damaged when it ground looped during takeoff. The pilot stated that he "lost control" while attempting to correct a drift to the left during takeoff on runway 27 (3,200 feet by 100 feet, asphalt). The airplane ground looped and "went up on its nose" before coming to rest. The left main landing gear collapsed during the accident sequence. The pilot reported light and variable winds during the accident takeoff. Winds recorded at Capital City Airport, located about 6 miles east of the accident site, were from 170 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot reported no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident. He noted that he "should have been more alert and reacted quicker to the drift."
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,363 hours in all; 87 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 7,494 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,383 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4D0 Grand Ledge MI at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LAN, 6 miles away
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.