Piper J3C-65 accident near Quincy, California, May 13, 2007
On May 13, 2007, a Piper J3C-65, registered N98041, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quincy, California (Private Pasture 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive use of the brakes, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2007
- Place
- Quincy, California · Private Pasture · 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
- N98041 · registry record · serial 18188
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted during the landing roll. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to practice landings in an open pasture. The pasture was flat with a cover of grass about 5 inches in height. He began a normal wheel landing in the pasture. After touchdown he applied brake pressure and attempted to keep the tail up with the elevator control. He continued to apply brake pressure and as the airplane slowed, the tail rose upward. The airplane nosed over to inverted. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. The tail and right wing sustained damage during the accident sequence.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 365 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Quincy CA
- Destination: Quincy CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 00
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX07CA166.