Piper J3C-85 accident near Bullhead City, Arizona, July 28, 1997
On July 28, 1997 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper J3C-85, registered N3339N, was destroyed in an accident near Bullhead City, Arizona (Laughlin Bullhead City airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper judgement of the pilot by intentionally performing low level maneuvers, and his misjudgment of a level-off over water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1997 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Bullhead City, Arizona · Laughlin Bullhead City
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-85 · all J3C-85s on the register
- Registration
- N3339N · no longer on the register · serial 22537
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was selling rides in a vintage Piper J3, which was equipped with floats and was being operated from the Colorado River. He was operating from an island in the river next to a residential area. Witnesses reported that the plane had been flying up and down the river at 40 to 50 feet. They said that the pilot would reverse course by pulling the nose up, turning 180 degrees, then leveling out just above the water. During a course reversal at low altitude, the airplane descended into the river. Warm temperatures and gusty winds were reported.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,386 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,293 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,191 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 1997; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from KIF, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.