Piper J-3 accident near Gaylord, Michigan, June 9, 1985
On June 9, 1985 at about 3:16 pm local time, a Piper J-3, registered N6544H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gaylord, Michigan. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1985 · about 3:16 pm local time
- Place
- Gaylord, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 · all J-3s on the register
- Registration
- N6544H · registry record · serial 19736
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE FLOAT PLANE ACROSS A LAKE IN WIND THAT WAS FROM 270 DEG AT 20 GUSTING 40 KTS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CAPSIZED & WAS DAMAGED. IN A REVISED STATEMENT, THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'SAILING' (LETTING THE WIND BLOW THE ACFT) ACROSS THE LAKE FOR MOORING WITHOUT THE ENG RUNNING; BUT WHEN WINDS THREATENED TO CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL, HE STARTED THE ENG BY PROPPING IT. HE SAID THAT AS HE SHIFTED HIS POSITION FROM THE FLOAT BACK TO THE COCKPIT, THE WIND CAUGHT A WING & TURNED THE ACFT OVER.
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: 2,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-AF (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:38 pm from GLR, 5 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N6544H 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 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 CHI85LA232.