Piper J3C-65 accident near Pahokee, Florida, April 22, 1984
On April 22, 1984 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N37967, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pahokee, Florida. 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).
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
- April 22, 1984 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pahokee, Florida · 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
- N37967 · registry record · serial 6740
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS CRUISING AT 1000 FT MSL WHEN THE ENG LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DITCHED IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THEPLT STATED THAT AFTER THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE LAKE, FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK. ALSO, HE STATED 'APPEARS VENT ON FUEL TANK CAP WAS NOT PROPERLY VENTED. ENGINE STARVED FOR FUEL.'
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, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DED Deland FL
- Destination: MIA Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:58 pm from MIA, 35 miles away
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.