Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3-2939 accident near Lincoln, California, August 5, 1983
On August 5, 1983 at about 2:45 am local time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3-2939, registered N87697, was involved in an accident near Lincoln, California (Lincoln Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- August 5, 1983 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Lincoln, California · Lincoln Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3-2939 · all N3N-3-2939s on the register
- Registration
- N87697 · registry record · serial 2939
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS TO RUNWAY 15 AND 33 AT LINCOLN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE PILOT MAKE A STEEP CLIMB FOLLOWING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING TO RUNWAY 15. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY.
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
- Flight time: 566 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 100 as pilot in command; 10 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,218 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 1983; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 15, 3,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.