Piper J3C-65 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, August 23, 1986
On August 23, 1986 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N23266, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida (New Hibiscus airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1986 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · New Hibiscus · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N23266 · registry record · serial 3113
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FLIGHT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 200 FEET SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND COMING TO REST ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT RECORDS REVEALED THE WRONG MODEL CARBURETOR FOR THE ENGINE WAS INSTALLED AND THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATING WITH A RICH MIXTURE DUE TO A CARBURETOR PROBLEM. WORK HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE CARBURETOR TO CORRECT THE RICH MIXTURE. EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THE MIXTURE CONTROL ARM WAS WIRED AT THE 40 TO 50 PERCENT OF TRAVEL FROM LEAN TO RICH AND THAT THE FUEL SHUTOFF NEEDLE VALVE WAS WORN EXCESSIVELY CAUSING THE NEEDLE VALVE TO NOT SEAT ON OCCASION. NO OTHER EVIDENCE OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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: 583 hours in all; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 537 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,066 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 28, 1985; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,300 ft by 160 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from VRB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA86FA239.