Piper J3C 65 accident near Clermont, Florida, March 1, 2015
On March 1, 2015 at about 5:35 pm local time, a 1946 Piper J3C 65, registered N717ML, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Clermont, Florida (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to land the airplane within the desired touchdown zone, resulting in a long landing and collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2015 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- Clermont, Florida · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C 65, built 1946 · all J3C 65s on the register
- Registration
- N717ML · registry record · serial 22411
- 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 he was landing his airplane at his residence, on a 5-acre grass field, at the conclusion of a local, sightseeing flight. He landed long and could not stop the airplane before it collided with a security fence at an adjacent residence. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot reported 4,000 hours total time; however had accrued only 15 hours in the accident airplane and received a tail wheel endorsement about 3 weeks prior to the accident.
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
- Landing area overshoot during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 9, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,170 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85-8FJ (piston); 776 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None Clermont FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: None Clermont FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from LEE, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on July 28, 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memo for Record – Leesburg, Fl Weather (Metars) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Airframe Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Pilot Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 1 – Right Wing Damage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 2 – Upper Fuselage Damage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 3 – Lower Fuselage and Landing Gear Damage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 4 – Landing Field (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
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.