Piper J3C-65 accident near Fort Gaines, Georgia, September 16, 2014
On September 16, 2014 at about 3:40 pm local time, a 1942 Piper J3C-65, registered N95480, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Gaines, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during flight, which resulted in a collision with a river.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2014 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Gaines, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65, built 1942 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N95480 · no longer on the register · serial 8403
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner and a pilot-rated passenger were on the first leg of a short, cross-country flight and did not arrive at their destination. A search was initiated, and the wreckage was located a week later in a remote area of a river in about 10 to 15 ft of water. No witnesses to the accident were located. The pilot was found at the rear seat position, and the passenger was found still buckled into the front seat. All major structural components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site, and flight control continuity was confirmed to the cockpit controls. The engine was removed from the airframe and disassembled; it did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. The cork-and-rod fuel quantity indicator was bent over and captured in the "empty" position; however, the fuel tank was breached, and the airplane was partially inverted in the water. Automated fueling records revealed that the pilot twice attempted to purchase fuel before the flight but only obtained 0.173 gallon. It could not be determined if the pilot obtained additional fuel from another source. The width of the river provided adequate room for a forced landing; however, the damage to the airframe and the occupants' injuries were consistent with an out-of-control condition at the time of impact.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during unknown defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,700 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 14, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,698 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 9, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,170 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A75-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0J6 Headland AL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: EUF Eufaula AL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Observation at 3:35 pm from BIJ, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
31 documents, released by the NTSB on June 3, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.