Piper J3C-65 accident near Healdsburg, California, April 27, 2000
On April 27, 2000 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N146TM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Healdsburg, California (Healdsburg Municipal 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
Failure of the flight review pilot to compensate for the crosswind and maintain flying speed during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2000 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Healdsburg, California · Healdsburg Municipal · 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
- N146TM · registry record · serial 22915
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The runway is situated on a plateau with a windsock located at the departure end of the runway on a 30-foot steel pole. During climb out the airplane encountered a crosswind approximately 30 feet above the runway. Due to the unfavorable wind condition, the pilot was unable to maintain runway alignment and noted that the airplane did not gain altitude. The CFI took the control yoke and attempted to maintain airspeed and altitude while trying to avoid a vineyard. He noted that they were running out of suitable airport environment and terrain to make a forced landing and were not able to climb. In order to avoid the windsock, the CFI had to raise the nose; the airplane stalled and impacted a grassy area about 100 feet from the runway edge and about 20 feet below the airport.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 6,900 as pilot in command; 5,147 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,510 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 1999; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A75-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 031 at 7:30 pm
- Destination: 031
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,707 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.