Piper J3C-65 accident near Bald Head Island, North Carolina, April 10, 2022
On April 10, 2022 at about 10:05 pm local time, a 1946 Piper J3C-65, registered N4693S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bald Head Island, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control during landing on a soft surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2022 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bald Head Island, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65, built 1946 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N4693S · registry record · serial 18373
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was landing on a beach. During the landing roll, the airplane’s main landing gear “dug in the soft sand” and the airplane flipped over, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder, fuselage and longerons. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 11,800 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,489 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRE N. Myrtle Beach SC at 9:15 pm
- Destination: ILM Wilmington NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from KSUT, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSUT 102215Z AUTO 31008G15KT 10SM CLR 19/M02 A3005 RMK AO2 T01891017
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 2, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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.