The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB GAA21WA074 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Piper J3 accident near Epse, Outside the U.S., April 15, 2021

On April 15, 2021 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Piper J3, registered NC50601, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Epse, Outside the U.S.. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.

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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
April 15, 2021 · about 2:35 pm local time
Place
Epse, Netherlands · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Piper J3 · all J3s on the register
Registration
NC50601 · no longer on the register
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Flight · rules the NTSB did not record

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute defining event
  2. Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final)

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.

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.