Piper J3C-90 accident near Meeker, Colorado, July 28, 1993
On July 28, 1993 at about 1:39 am local time, a Piper J3C-90, registered N33111, was destroyed in an accident near Meeker, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE INTENTIONAL LOW PASS PERFORMED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1993 · about 1:39 am local time
- Place
- Meeker, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-90 · all J3C-90s on the register
- Registration
- N33111 · registry record · serial 5829
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANE MADE A LOW PASS OVER A TRACTOR BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT'S BROTHER. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED INTO AN IRRIGATION DITCH. THE LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE DITCH AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED.
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: 1,250 hours in all; 390 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,498 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 1992; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,256 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.