Piper J3C-65 accident near St.Augustine, Florida, February 10, 1985
On February 10, 1985 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N92668, was substantially damaged in an accident near St.Augustine, Florida (St. Augustine airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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
- February 10, 1985 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- St.Augustine, Florida · St. Augustine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N92668 · registry record · serial 17043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A WIND DIRECTION INDICATOR SUPPORT POLE DURING A RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING. THE CFI ON BOARD STATED HE TURNED HIS HEAD TO ADVISE THE STUDENT IN THE BACK SEAT TO KEEP THE LEFT WING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE X-WIND CONDITION WHEN HE NOTICED THE ACFT DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT TOWARD THE POLE.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,872 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 3,632 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,028 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 1984; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Sport,Inc.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,000 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from CRG, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N92668 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.