Piper J3C accident near Greenville, Pennsylvania, June 11, 1983
On June 11, 1983 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Piper J3C, registered N13DK, was destroyed in an accident near Greenville, Pennsylvania (Greenville Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- June 11, 1983 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Pennsylvania · Greenville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C · all J3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N13DK · no longer on the register · serial 5714
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, A CERT A&P MECHANIC, HE HAD FLOWN THE ACFT 1 HR SINCE LAST INSPECTION & EVERYTHING OPERATED NORMALLY. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, HIS WIFE, ALSO A PLT, DEPARTED THEIR PRIVATE ARPT AT MERCER, PA ON A LOCAL FLT BUTLANDED AT GREENVILLE 15 MIN LATER BECAUSE OF A ROUGH RUNNING ENG. AFTER ARRIVING AT GREENVILLE, THE PLT REPLACED SEVERALOF THE FUEL INJECTION NOZZLES BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE NOZZLES STICKING DUE TO VARNISH DEPOSITS. THE PLT THEN TOOK OFF ON A LOCAL TEST HOP. AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH & LOSE POWER. HE MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. DURING THE TURN THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND & THE ACFT CRASHED. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGAITON REVEALED THAT THE INTERNAL MECHANISMS OF THE INJECTOR NOZZLES FROM CYLINDERS 2,3 & 4 WERE STRUCK IN THE CLOSED POSITION & WERE UNABLE TO PRODUCE ANY SPRAY OF FUEL.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,125 hours in all; 360 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 29,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,759 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1983; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-8FJ (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from YNG, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N13DK 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.