Piper J3C-65 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 20, 1983
On March 20, 1983 at about 3:03 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N3618K, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- March 20, 1983 · about 3:03 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N3618K · registry record · serial 22310
- 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'S FATHER AND FIANCEE WERE ACTING AS GROUND CREW FOR THE BANNER PICKUP. THE PILOT'S FATHER, WHO IS A SENIOR CAPTAIN FOR PAN AM, STATED THAT THE ACFR FLEW IN A VERY ERRATIC MANNER AFTER THE BANNER TOWING HOOK WAS THROWN OUT. THE ACFT WAS BANKING AND PITCHING UNTIL IT PITCHED DOWN INTO A STEEP DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. TWO OTHER WITNESSES THOUGHT THE ACFT ACTED AS IF IT WERE IN A CROSS CONTROL OR ACCELERATED STALL CONDITION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PITCH TRIM WAS IN THE FULL NOSE UP POSITION. NO REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THIS. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE. WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE OPERATED AT CONSTANT POWER DURING THE CRASH.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 634 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 554 as pilot in command; 184 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1982; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 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 3:05 pm from FXE
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.