Piper J3C-65 accident near Dunlap, Tennessee, June 24, 2025
On June 24, 2025 at about 11:23 pm local time, a 1945 Piper J3C-65, registered N28DR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Dunlap, Tennessee. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2025 · about 11:23 pm local time
- Place
- Dunlap, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65, built 1945 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N28DR · registry record · serial 21010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 24, 2025, about 18:23 central daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N28DR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Dunlap, Tennessee. The commercial pilot was fatally injured and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the passenger, the purpose of the flight was to continue instructional training that he had started a couple of days prior to the accident. Regarding the accident flight, he recalled that they were at a nearby airstrip about 7 miles north of the accident location. He does not recall departing that airfield, the accident flight, or the accident events. The accident site was located at the airplane owner’s private airstrip, about 40 feet to the left side of the runway. The runway heading was 240° and the airplane came to rest on a 335° heading. The airplane came to rest mostly upright in a hay field. A ground scar was observed directly in front of the airplane’s engine and was 8 inches deep. The scar was centered with the airplane and protruded to the airplane’s right by 2 feet. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane was partially resting on the right wing. The cockpit instrumentation, firewall, and engine were displaced upwards from the fuselage. Witnesses that responded to the accident site confirmed that the fuel selector was in the “both” position. One witness reported that the forward occupant was wearing the installed four-point harness, and the aft seat occupant was not wearing a harness or lap belt, but that the lap belt was in close proximity to the occupant. A second witness recalled that the aft seat occupant had the lap belt secured, but the shoulder harnesses were not utilized. First responders that documented the scene noted several broken tree limbs with yellow paint transfer about 113ft from the main wreckage. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine was conducted. There were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures found with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. An examination of the airframe revealed damage to the left-wing leading edge with tree foliage found underneath the damaged skin, consistent with the tree foliage at the location of the broken tree limbs exhibiting yellow paint transfer. A puncture hole through the top and bottom of the left wing forward and at the outboard side of the left aileron was observed. A Garmin GPSmap396 was recovered and retained. The grass runway measured 40ft in width. A clearing at the beginning of the runway measured about 100ft wide and was about 50ft from the cut grass on the runway. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airstrip was about 2,100ft in length. Figure 1: Main Wreckage Location in Proximity to the Private Airstrip and Broken Tree Limbs
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing defining event
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from CHA, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCHA 242253Z 02006KT 10SM FEW060 BKN250 34/22 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP206 T03390217
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N28DR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25FA239.