Piper J3C accident near Homestead, Florida, October 25, 1988
On October 25, 1988 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Piper J3C, registered N26820, was substantially damaged in an accident near Homestead, 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
- October 25, 1988 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Homestead, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C · all J3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N26820 · registry record · serial 4198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT WHILE CLIMBING AT NIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG SPUTTERED. HE SUSPECTED POSSIBLE WATER IN THE FUEL & LANDED ACROSS ROWS IN A FIELD. DRG THE LANDING, THE GEAR FAILED & THE ACFT CAME TO REST ON ITS BELLY WITH A BENT PROP, TORN FABRIC & DMGD ENG COWLING. WHEN HE TRIED TO MOVE THE ACFT WITH A FORKLIFT, THE ACFT WAS FURTHER DMGD. ORIGINALLY, THE OWNER CONSIDERED THE DMG TO BE MINOR, BUT LATER, WHEN AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE ACFT, THE DMG WAS DETERMINED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND, BUT THE ACFT WAS MOVED BEFORE THE INVESTIGATION WAS BEGUN. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 78 & 68 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, CONDS WERE CONDUCIVE FOR CARB ICE.
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: 914 hours in all; 501 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,526 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1988; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from TMB, 10 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.