Piper J3C-65 accident near New Prague, Minnesota, August 12, 1995
On August 12, 1995 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N70369, was destroyed in an accident near New Prague, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed to permit control of the aircraft and to prevent an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors include gusty wind conditions and turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1995 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- New Prague, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N70369 · registry record · serial 17353
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE AS HE APPROACHED CEDAR LAKE FOR LANDING AND ESTIMATED THAT THE SURFACE WIND WAS SOUTHERLY AT 20 - 25 KNOTS. ON FINAL APPROACH NORTH OF THE LAKE AT AN AIRSPEED 'ADEQUATE' FOR A FLOATPLANE LANDING THE RIGHT WING DROPPED ABRUPTLY TO NEARLY A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE PILOT LEVELED THE WINGS BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL ABRUPTLY INTO A LEFT BANK UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED. HE WAS AGAIN ABLE TO LEVEL THE WINGS HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT FLEW THROUGH AN AREA OF TREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND, ON SHORE, IN A WINGS LEVEL, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,704 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,704 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1995; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N/A Elysian MN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: N/A
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from Y12, 13 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.