Piper J3C-65 accident near Lanconia, New Hampshire, April 15, 2000
On April 15, 2000 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N42383, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lanconia, New Hampshire (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2000 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lanconia, New Hampshire · None
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N42383 · no longer on the register · serial 14640
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane took off towards the south, climbed to 50-100 feet, just over the tree line, and began a circling turn to the right. The airplane completed 360 degrees of the turn, and was 10-15 degrees nose high, when the nose dropped and the airplane descended at a 60 degree nose down attitude. Examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical deficiencies. Examination of the propeller revealed that one blade was broken aft in the opposite direction of rotation, and one blade was broken straight back towards the engine. A sample of fuel was drained from the airplane's fuel strainer bowl after the accident; it was green in color, cloudy, and resembled 'muddy water.' The fuel also contained unidentified debris. The airplane was last fueled with 9 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline on October 17, 1999, and there was no record of it being flown since that date.
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: 277 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 277 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,828 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 6, 1999; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,400 ft by 500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 18 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from LCI, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.