Boeing B-17G accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina, November 3, 1995
On November 3, 1995 at about 4:02 pm local time, a Boeing B-17G, registered N3703G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina (Fayetteville Regional airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the airplane's normal brake system due to the open position of the pressure relief valve. Contributing to the accident was the pilot in command's premature engine shutdown resulting in the airplane colliding with the localizer building.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 1995 · about 4:02 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, North Carolina · Fayetteville Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B-17G · all B-17Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3703G · registry record · serial 44-83546-A
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While taxiing near the 90-degree taxiway turn-off to the runway, the brakes failed. The pilot elected to secure the engines, and while continuing down a slight grade, he applied full throttle to both left wing engines. The airplane rolled off the right side of the taxiway onto grass but continued across the taxiway run-up area down an embankment. The pilot then restarted the No. 1 engine and applied full throttle but the left wing of the airplane collided with a localizer antenna building. Postaccident examination of the hydraulic system revealed intermittent failure of the pressure check valve for the hydraulic hand pump, and failure of the pressure relief valve for the electric hydraulic pump.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 596 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,299 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1995; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 52,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Wright R-1820-97 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAY
- Destination: NZC Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:25 pm from FAY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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 MIA96LA017.