Piper J3C-90 accident near Racine, Wisconsin, June 29, 1996
On June 29, 1996 at about 5:56 pm local time, a Piper J3C-90, registered N77563, was destroyed in an accident near Racine, Wisconsin (John H. Batten Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was improper remdial action by the pilot after encountering a stall when the elevator back pressure was not removed and the ailerons were positioned for a right bank by that increasing the airplane's left yaw/roll action. Factors in this accident were a stall encountered by the pilot, high winds, and gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1996 · about 5:56 pm local time
- Place
- Racine, Wisconsin · John H. Batten Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-90 · all J3C-90s on the register
- Registration
- N77563 · registry record · serial 22058
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was part of an airshow act depicting a 'student pilot' flying the airplane without a flight instructor. A video tape of the airplane's flight showed it flying level at 100 feet above the ground. The airplane pitched up about 5 degrees and then pitched down as it began a left turn. The bank angle increased to about 90 degrees and the airplane pitched down to about 30 degrees below level flight at the 90 degree point in its turn. The airplane continued to pitch down until it collided with the ground. The video tape showed the airplane's rudder moving left and right during its descent. The aileron control position was for a right bank and the elevator was in the up position for the last half of the flight. The on-scene investigation revealed no anomalies with the airplane's flight control system or engine that would prevent flight. Surface winds were reported at 15 to 20 knots with gusts to 28 knots.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,922 hours in all; 442 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 2,783 as pilot in command; 1,213 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 771 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAC
- Destination: RAC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 17 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Observation at 5:56 pm from MKE, 20 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.
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.