Piper J3C-65 accident near Andover, New Jersey, March 5, 2005
On March 5, 2005 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N87955, was substantially damaged in an accident near Andover, New Jersey (Aeroflex-Andover airport). It was an instructional 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 receiving instruction's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors in the accident were the flight instructors delayed remedial action, and crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2005 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Andover, New Jersey · Aeroflex-Andover · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N87955 · registry record · serial 15573
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated pilot (receiving tailwheel instruction) executed a landing to runway 03, and after the airplane touched down, it drifted left. The flight instructor joined him on the controls, and added power and right rudder; however, the left main landing gear struck a 2 1/2-foot snow bank. The airplane swung to the left, the right main landing gear then struck a snow bank, and the airplane nosed over. Winds were 10 degrees from the right, at 6 knots.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,094 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 147 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,700 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2005; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 12N Andover NJ at 5:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 1,981 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from 12N
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.