Piper J-3 accident near Valley Center, Kansas, December 17, 1997
On December 17, 1997 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Piper J-3, registered N32737, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valley Center, Kansas (Brand Farm airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's excessive pull up after lift-off and failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb, which resulted in a stall and collision with wooded terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1997 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Valley Center, Kansas · Brand Farm · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 · all J-3s on the register
- Registration
- N32737 · registry record · serial 5569
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he felt and heard what he thought was the limbs of nearby trees brushing the right wingtip. He reported, 'I now know the shudder of a near stall caused the door window at my right to rattle. My reflex action was a left turn, the sure way to start a spin from a pre-stall attitude.' The airplane rotated to the right and cart-wheeled off the right wingtip and hit trees. The airplane came to rest in an inverted position with the tail resting vertically in the trees. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by, 'decreasing the climb angle sooner after liftoff.'
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
- Flight time: 1,804 hours in all; 249 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,042 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,660 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1997; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,175 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-75F-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 1,400 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.