Piper J3C-65 accident near Cambridge, Maryland, July 7, 1996
On July 7, 1996 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N87910, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cambridge, Maryland (Cambridge/Dorchester Cnty airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 of the airplane during landing. The crosswind was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 1996 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cambridge, Maryland · Cambridge/Dorchester Cnty · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N87910 · registry record · serial 15528
- 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 doing a touch-and-go landing on runway 34 when a gust of wind veered the airplane to the right. The airplane ground looped, and during his attempt to recover, the airplane went off the right side of the runway and into a ditch. The winds were not recorded at the airport but the local area and airports in the vicinity showed winds recorded from the southwest at approximately 10 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 1996; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGE at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,000 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots, gusting 9
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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.
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.