Piper J3C-85 accident near Seminole, Texas, July 31, 1998
On July 31, 1998 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper J3C-85, registered N7018H, was destroyed in an accident near Seminole, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1998 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Seminole, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-85 · all J3C-85s on the register
- Registration
- N7018H · registry record · serial 20262
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a nearly vertical attitude. The empennage was folded and twisted to the left. All aircraft components were found at the point of impact. There were no eye witnesses to the accident; however, the airplane was observed maneuvering at 100-500 feet agl. The pilot often performed aerial observations of his farms and looked for deer in the accident area. No preimpact discrepancies were found that would have precluded engine operation. A fuselage support tube was fractured and exhibited corrosion. NTSB Metallurgists determined that the corrosion did not penetrate completely through the thickness of the support tube and all fractures were overstress separations. The private pilot had logged 429.7 hours in the accident airplane. Density altitude was estimated at 5,600 feet. Weather data indicated a stationary front extending westward through the area with visible moisture and cumulus clouds.
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: 937 hours in all; 430 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 31, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 31F at 7:12 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW98FA340.